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ISEE Reading Comprehension study materials
ISEE Reading Comprehension study resources

ISEE Reading Comprehension practice questions

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Question 1Main Idea and Theme

A passage opens with three paragraphs describing how a small town rebuilt its library after a flood, then closes with a paragraph noting that library use doubled within a year. Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?

  1. A community effort to restore a library produced lasting benefits beyond the building itself. Correct answer.
  2. Floods are the most destructive natural disaster for public buildings.
  3. Library membership records are difficult to keep accurately.
  4. Small towns generally receive little government funding for construction.

Explanation

The main idea must account for the whole passage, not one detail. The rebuilding effort occupies most of the text, and the closing statistic about doubled use shows the outcome the author wants readers to take away. Options about flood damage, record keeping, and funding treat side details or outside assumptions as the point.

Question 2Main Idea and Theme

Which description best defines the main idea of a reading passage?

  1. The first sentence of the opening paragraph
  2. The central point the author develops throughout the text Correct answer.
  3. The topic word that appears most frequently
  4. The single most surprising sentence in the text

Explanation

The main idea is the controlling point that the details, examples, and structure of the passage support. It is broader than any one sentence and is not determined by position or word frequency. A reader should be able to state it after finishing the whole selection.

Question 3Main Idea and Theme

A passage explains that migratory birds navigate using stars, Earth's magnetic field, and landmarks, and that young birds learn these methods from experienced adults. Which statement best captures the passage's main idea?

  1. Landmarks are more useful to birds than stars are.
  2. Young birds migrate farther than adults do.
  3. Bird navigation depends on several systems, some of which are learned socially. Correct answer.
  4. Earth's magnetic field is the only reliable guide for migrating birds.

Explanation

The passage presents multiple navigation methods and adds that young birds acquire them from adults. A main idea must include both parts of that content. Options that single out one method or make an unsupported comparison narrow or distort the passage.

Question 4Main Idea and Theme

In a passage about a scientist's career, most paragraphs describe her early failures and the experiments she redesigned, while the final sentence mentions her eventual award. What is the passage mainly about?

  1. The ceremony at which the scientist received her award
  2. The scientist's childhood hobbies
  3. The reasons scientific awards are difficult to win
  4. The process of persistence and revision that led to the scientist's success Correct answer.

Explanation

Proportion matters when identifying a main idea: the bulk of the passage covers failures and redesigns, so that process is the focus. The award is a closing detail that confirms the theme rather than the subject of the text. The other options address material the passage does not develop.

Question 5Main Idea and Theme

Which feature of a passage most reliably signals its main idea?

  1. The idea that the supporting details and examples all work to develop Correct answer.
  2. The number of proper nouns it contains
  3. The length of its longest paragraph
  4. The repetition of a single descriptive adjective

Explanation

A main idea functions as an umbrella: the details, examples, and explanations in a passage should all connect back to it. Neither proper nouns, paragraph length, nor repeated adjectives establish what the author is arguing. Readers test a candidate main idea by checking whether the details support it.

Question 6Main Idea and Theme

A passage states that coral reefs protect coastlines, support fishing economies, and harbor enormous biodiversity, then warns that warming water is bleaching them at an accelerating rate. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Fishing economies depend entirely on healthy coral reefs.
  2. Coral reefs are less important than scientists once believed.
  3. Bleaching is caused only by pollution from coastal cities.
  4. Coral reefs are valuable in several ways and are seriously threatened. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage has two halves: the value of reefs and the danger they face. The correct statement combines both, which is what a main idea must do. The distractors either overstate one detail or introduce claims the passage does not make.

Question 7Main Idea and Theme

What is the difference between a passage's topic and its main idea?

  1. The topic is always stated in the title, while the main idea never is.
  2. The topic appears only in the final paragraph, while the main idea appears only in the first.
  3. The topic is the general subject, while the main idea is the specific point made about that subject. Correct answer.
  4. The topic applies to fiction, while the main idea applies only to nonfiction.

Explanation

A topic is a word or phrase naming what the text is about, such as honeybees. The main idea is a full claim about that topic, such as honeybees communicate through movement. Recognizing the difference helps a reader avoid choosing a mere subject label as the answer.

Question 8Main Idea and Theme

A short passage describes how a city replaced its concrete plaza with trees, benches, and a fountain, and concludes that neighbors now gather there daily. Which statement best states the main idea?

  1. Redesigning a public space can strengthen a community's daily life. Correct answer.
  2. Concrete is unsuitable for any public space.
  3. Benches are the most popular feature in city parks.
  4. Fountains require constant maintenance in urban areas.

Explanation

The passage contrasts the old plaza with the redesigned one and reports the result: residents now gather there. The main idea should link the change to its effect on community life. The distractors either overgeneralize or add facts the passage never supplies.

Question 9Main Idea and Theme

A passage describes a baker who wakes before dawn, tests recipes repeatedly, and gives free loaves to neighbors on Fridays, ending with the observation that her shop has become a neighborhood meeting place. Which statement best expresses the author's central point?

  1. Free food is an effective marketing strategy.
  2. Baking requires more skill than most people realize.
  3. Early rising is the key to success in small business.
  4. The baker's dedication and generosity have made her shop a community hub. Correct answer.

Explanation

The details of hard work and giving bread away all build toward the closing observation about the shop as a gathering place. The main idea should unify those details rather than isolate one. The other options turn a single detail into a general rule the passage never asserts.

Question 10Main Idea and Theme

A passage argues that standardized testing measures only a narrow set of skills, that classroom projects reveal deeper understanding, and that schools should therefore weigh projects more heavily. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Students enjoy projects more than they enjoy tests.
  2. Standardized tests should be eliminated from schools entirely.
  3. Because tests capture only part of what students know, schools should give more weight to project work. Correct answer.
  4. Classroom projects are easier to grade than standardized tests.

Explanation

The passage builds a chain of reasoning from a limitation of tests to a recommendation about projects. The main idea must preserve that argument, including the recommendation, without exaggerating it. Eliminating tests entirely goes further than the passage's call for more weight on projects.

Question 11Main Idea and Theme

A passage describes the invention of the printing press, the spread of cheap books across Europe, and the rise of reading among ordinary people, but says nothing about who invented the press. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Ordinary people had always owned large numbers of books.
  2. One invention helped make reading a widespread activity rather than an elite one. Correct answer.
  3. The printing press was invented by a German goldsmith.
  4. Books became cheaper because paper production improved.

Explanation

A main idea must be supported by what the passage actually contains. The passage links the press to cheaper books and wider reading, so that link is the central point. Details the passage omits, such as the inventor's identity, cannot be the answer even if they are true.

Question 12Main Idea and Theme

A passage about sleep explains that the brain clears waste products during deep sleep, that memory consolidation occurs then, and that chronic sleep loss is linked to health problems. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Deep sleep performs essential maintenance that affects memory and health. Correct answer.
  2. Eight hours of sleep is the correct amount for every adult.
  3. Dreams are the most important part of sleep.
  4. Sleep loss affects mood more than it affects memory.

Explanation

The passage's three parts all describe functions or consequences of deep sleep, so the main idea should name that maintenance role. It should not add a specific number of hours or rank effects the passage does not compare. Dreams are never mentioned.

Question 13Main Idea and Theme

A writer describes a hiking trip in detail, including a difficult climb, a sudden storm, and a night in a leaking tent, then states that she would repeat the trip without hesitation. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. The writer's trip was poorly planned from the start.
  2. Tents are unreliable in bad weather.
  3. Hiking is dangerous and should be avoided in storm season.
  4. Despite real hardship, the writer values the experience enough to repeat it. Correct answer.

Explanation

The main idea must reconcile the difficulties described with the writer's concluding willingness to repeat the trip. That contrast is the point the details serve. Options that focus only on danger, planning, or equipment miss the writer's attitude, which the final sentence makes explicit.

Question 14Main Idea and Theme

A passage presents two views: some residents want the vacant lot turned into a parking lot, while others want a community garden. The author then notes that the garden plan has secured funding and volunteer labor. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. The dispute over the vacant lot is tilting toward a community garden because it has concrete support. Correct answer.
  2. The vacant lot will remain undeveloped for years.
  3. Volunteers should not influence decisions about public land.
  4. Parking is a more urgent need than green space in most neighborhoods.

Explanation

The passage sets up a choice and then supplies evidence about which option is advancing. The main idea should reflect that development rather than take a side the author does not endorse. The other options either import outside opinions or predict an outcome the passage contradicts.

Question 15Main Idea and Theme

A passage explains that octopuses can change color and texture in under a second, squeeze through openings the size of their beaks, and solve puzzles to obtain food. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Octopuses are the most intelligent animals in the ocean.
  2. Octopuses prefer puzzles to natural prey.
  3. Octopuses possess an unusual combination of physical and problem-solving abilities. Correct answer.
  4. Camouflage is the octopus's only defense against predators.

Explanation

The passage lists several distinct capabilities, so the main idea should generalize across them. It should not declare a ranking among ocean animals or reduce the list to one ability. The puzzle detail is one example, not a preference claim.

Question 16Main Idea and Theme

A passage opens with a personal anecdote about losing a library book as a child, then discusses how libraries waive fines to keep patrons returning, and ends by urging readers to support fine-free policies. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Library books are frequently lost or damaged.
  2. Fine-free policies keep people connected to libraries and deserve support. Correct answer.
  3. Fines are the main source of funding for public libraries.
  4. The author was an irresponsible child.

Explanation

The anecdote is a hook that leads into an argument about fines and a call to action. The main idea should capture the argument, not the opening story. Details about the author's childhood or lost books serve the argument rather than standing as its point.

Question 17Main Idea and Theme

A passage explains that a city's new bus routes reduced average commute times, increased ridership, and lowered downtown traffic, while noting that two routes were later adjusted after complaints. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Complaints about bus routes are usually exaggerated.
  2. The new bus routes produced broad benefits, with minor adjustments along the way. Correct answer.
  3. Downtown traffic has become worse since the routes began.
  4. The bus system should be expanded to every suburb immediately.

Explanation

The passage reports several gains and one small corrective step, so the main idea should reflect both the overall success and the adjustments. It should not overstate the results or contradict them. Expansion and the value of complaints are not discussed.

Question 18Main Idea and Theme

A passage describes a musician who spent years playing in small clubs, was rejected by several labels, and finally released an album that critics praised. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Critical praise is more valuable than commercial success.
  2. Small clubs are the best place for musicians to develop.
  3. Record labels rarely recognize talent.
  4. Sustained effort through rejection eventually brought the musician recognition. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage traces a path from obscurity and rejection to recognition, so the main idea should center on that trajectory. General claims about labels, clubs, or the value of praise go beyond what the passage supports. The details exist to illustrate the musician's persistence.

Question 19Main Idea and Theme

A passage notes that some scientists favor returning samples from Mars, while others argue that robotic analysis in place is cheaper and nearly as informative. The author concludes that the decision depends on budget priorities rather than on the value of either method. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Returning samples from Mars is the only way to learn about the planet.
  2. Robotic analysis makes sample-return missions unnecessary.
  3. Scientists rarely agree on questions about space exploration.
  4. Both approaches have merit, and the choice hinges on how funds are prioritized. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage presents two positions and then offers a balanced conclusion about what should decide between them. The main idea should reproduce that balance rather than favor either method. The distractors either advocate one side or generalize beyond the passage.

Question 20Main Idea and Theme

A passage about honeybees describes how foragers locate flowers, return to the hive, and communicate direction through a waggle dance. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Waggle dances are used mainly to warn of predators.
  2. Flowers produce nectar only in the morning.
  3. Honeybees can remember the location of every flower they visit.
  4. Honeybees use a movement-based signal to share the location of food. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage connects foraging, returning, and dancing, so the main idea is that the dance communicates food location. It should not add claims about memory or nectar timing that the passage does not make. The purpose of the dance is stated as direction to flowers, not warning.

Question 21Main Idea and Theme

A passage argues that school start times should be moved later because adolescent sleep cycles shift, early starts reduce attention, and later starts have improved attendance in several districts. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Attendance records are the best measure of school quality.
  2. All schools should adopt identical schedules nationwide.
  3. Teenagers simply need to go to bed earlier.
  4. Later school start times align with adolescent biology and have produced measurable benefits. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage offers a biological reason and evidence from districts to support a recommendation. The main idea must include that recommendation and its grounds. Advice to go to bed earlier and claims about attendance measures or uniform schedules are not part of the argument.

Question 22Main Idea and Theme

A passage describes a village that built check dams to slow monsoon runoff, recharged its wells, and restored a seasonal stream, then notes that the changes required years of volunteer labor and some failed attempts. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Seasonal streams cannot be restored once they dry up.
  2. Monsoon rains are becoming more severe each year.
  3. A sustained, imperfect community effort restored the village's water supply. Correct answer.
  4. Check dams are inexpensive and easy to build.

Explanation

The passage describes both the restoration and the difficult, uneven process behind it. A strong main idea accounts for the successes and the failures rather than presenting the project as effortless. The other options either contradict the passage or add claims it does not make.

Question 23Main Idea and Theme

A passage describes how a museum reorganized its exhibits to include visitor-written labels alongside expert text, and reports that visitors spent longer in galleries and returned more often, though some curators worried about accuracy. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Expert labels are less accurate than visitor-written labels.
  2. Visitor engagement is the only measure of a museum's success.
  3. Museums should remove expert commentary from all exhibits.
  4. A museum's effort to involve visitors in interpretation deepened engagement while raising concerns about accuracy. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage presents an initiative, its positive results, and a countervailing concern. The main idea should hold all three in view rather than flattening them into a verdict. Options that rank accuracy or call for removing expert text go beyond the balanced account.

Question 24Main Idea and Theme

A passage opens by describing a common belief that goldfish have three-second memories, then reviews experiments showing that goldfish can remember tasks for months, and closes by asking why the myth persists. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Experiments on animal memory are difficult to design.
  2. Goldfish are the most intelligent fish species.
  3. A popular belief about goldfish memory is contradicted by evidence, and its persistence is itself a puzzle. Correct answer.
  4. Goldfish can be trained to perform any task.

Explanation

The passage moves from a popular myth to contrary evidence and then to a question about why the myth survives. The main idea must encompass both the correction and the closing question. Claims about superior intelligence, experimental difficulty, or unlimited training are not supported.

Question 25Main Idea and Theme

A passage describes two historians who disagree about the causes of a famine: one emphasizes drought, the other colonial land policies. The author notes that both draw on the same rainfall records but interpret them differently. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Rainfall records are unreliable sources for historians.
  2. Colonial land policies had no effect on farming.
  3. Interpretation, not just evidence, shapes historians' conclusions about the famine's causes. Correct answer.
  4. The famine was caused solely by drought.

Explanation

The passage stresses that the two historians share evidence but reach different conclusions, which points to the role of interpretation. The main idea should describe that dynamic rather than adopt one historian's view. The passage does not dismiss the records or rule out the role of land policies.

Question 26Main Idea and Theme

A passage explains why a coastal town installed oyster reefs along its eroding shoreline, reporting lower wave energy, clearer water, and returning fish. A student claims the main idea is 'oysters filter water.' How should the main idea be restated to capture the whole passage?

  1. Wave energy is measured in coastal engineering.
  2. Oyster reefs can reduce erosion and improve water quality while restoring marine life. Correct answer.
  3. Oysters are a popular food in coastal towns.
  4. The town spent money on an experiment.

Explanation

A main idea must cover all the passage's key points, not just one supporting detail. Here the passage reports erosion reduction, clearer water, and returning fish, so the restatement should combine those effects. A single detail such as filtering water is too narrow to be the main idea.

Question 27Main Idea and Theme

A paragraph about a community garden states: 'Plots were assigned in spring, volunteers built raised beds, and the harvest was donated to a food pantry.' Which sentence best expresses the paragraph's main idea?

  1. A community garden project organized volunteers to grow food for people in need. Correct answer.
  2. Raised beds are easier to build than flat plots.
  3. Food pantries often receive donations from farms.
  4. Spring is the best season for planting vegetables.

Explanation

The main idea sums up what the whole paragraph is about: a garden project whose volunteers grew food for a pantry. The other sentences take one detail or a related general fact and treat it as the point. Only the garden sentence accounts for all three details together.

Question 28Main Idea and Theme

A passage describes a retired teacher who repairs bicycles for neighborhood children, teaches them to fix flats, and refuses payment. The final line reads, 'She said the shop was never about bicycles.' What theme does the passage develop?

  1. Bicycle repair requires specialized tools.
  2. Generosity builds community by passing skills and confidence to others. Correct answer.
  3. Children should learn practical skills at school.
  4. Retirement often leads to boredom.

Explanation

A theme is an underlying message about life, not a summary of events. The teacher's unpaid work and her closing remark point to generosity and skill-sharing rather than to the bicycles themselves. The other options are either literal details or claims the passage does not develop.

Question 29Main Idea and Theme

A passage about a failed Antarctic expedition notes that the team's diary entries focus less on reaching the pole than on shared meals, jokes, and care for injured members. Which statement best identifies the passage's theme?

  1. Diaries are unreliable historical sources.
  2. Reaching the South Pole is the highest achievement in exploration.
  3. Antarctic travel is too dangerous to attempt.
  4. Endurance and companionship matter more than the stated goal. Correct answer.

Explanation

Theme emerges from what the details emphasize, and here the emphasis falls on camaraderie and endurance rather than the goal. The diary focus is evidence for that message. A theme must be supported across the passage, not asserted from outside knowledge.

Question 30Main Idea and Theme

A passage describes how a neighborhood library added a tool-lending collection, a seed exchange, and evening classes. Which sentence states the main idea rather than a supporting detail?

  1. Tool-lending collections include drills and ladders.
  2. Seed exchanges let gardeners share heirloom varieties.
  3. Evening classes are convenient for working adults.
  4. The library expanded its role beyond books to serve practical community needs. Correct answer.

Explanation

The main idea must be broad enough to cover all three examples: tools, seeds, and classes. Only the sentence about expanding beyond books does that. Each other option describes one program in isolation, which makes it a supporting detail.

Question 31Main Idea and Theme

An author writes that a river restoration project began with removing a dam, then describes returning salmon, cleaner water, and new kayak rentals. The author concludes, 'The river did the rest.' Which idea does the conclusion reinforce?

  1. Dams should never be built on any river.
  2. Removing a barrier can let an ecosystem largely heal itself. Correct answer.
  3. Salmon populations recover within one year.
  4. Kayak rentals are the most profitable outcome.

Explanation

The conclusion is a comment on the whole passage, so it should be read as reinforcing the main idea. The listed recoveries support the idea that the ecosystem rebounded once the barrier was gone. The other options overgeneralize or focus on a minor detail.

Question 32Main Idea and Theme

A passage compares two maps of the same city drawn fifty years apart, noting new highways, vanished wetlands, and a doubled population. Which sentence best captures the main idea?

  1. Highways are the leading cause of wetland loss.
  2. The city's population doubled in fifty years.
  3. Maps are difficult to interpret without a legend.
  4. Comparing old and new maps reveals how growth reshaped the city's landscape. Correct answer.

Explanation

The main idea should explain the purpose of the comparison, not simply repeat one statistic. The passage uses two maps to show landscape change, so the comparison itself is the point. A single fact such as doubling population is a detail that supports it.

Question 33Main Idea and Theme

A short passage describes a chess player who loses many early matches, studies opponents' games, and eventually wins a regional title. Which theme is best supported?

  1. Regional titles are harder to win than national ones.
  2. Losing is more instructive than winning.
  3. Persistent study can turn repeated failure into success. Correct answer.
  4. Chess requires memorizing opening moves.

Explanation

Theme is the message the events illustrate, and here the sequence of losses, study, and victory supports persistence leading to success. The passage traces a change over time, which is the evidence for that message. Options that merely restate one event or make unsupported comparisons are not themes.

Question 34Main Idea and Theme

A passage opens with a description of a crowded, noisy market, then explains how a new covered hall reduced spoilage and lowered prices. Which statement is the main idea?

  1. Markets are usually crowded and noisy.
  2. A new covered market hall improved conditions for both sellers and buyers. Correct answer.
  3. Covered halls are more attractive than open markets.
  4. Spoilage is the main problem facing food sellers.

Explanation

The opening description sets up the problem that the covered hall solves, so the main idea concerns that improvement. The passage reports benefits for sellers and buyers, which the correct statement combines. The other options isolate the setup or draw unsupported conclusions.

Question 35Main Idea and Theme

A passage explains that a type of fungus connects tree roots underground, sharing water and nutrients among trees. Which sentence best states the main idea?

  1. Fungi are neither plants nor animals.
  2. Trees compete for water during dry seasons.
  3. Underground fungal networks can link trees and move resources between them. Correct answer.
  4. Nutrients move through soil by diffusion.

Explanation

The main idea names the central relationship the passage explains: fungi linking trees and transferring resources. It must include both the network and its function. The other options are either unrelated facts or contradict the passage's emphasis on sharing.

Question 36Main Idea and Theme

A passage describes a violinist who performs for hospital patients and says the listeners 'hear the music differently than a concert hall does.' Which theme does the passage suggest?

  1. Concert halls provide better acoustics than hospital rooms.
  2. Music can offer comfort and connection in places of illness. Correct answer.
  3. Hospitals should hire professional musicians.
  4. Violinists prefer small audiences to large ones.

Explanation

The musician's remark points to a message about music's role in a place of illness, which is the theme. Theme is implied through the performer's reflection, not stated as policy. The other options turn the theme into a practical recommendation or an unsupported preference.

Question 37Main Idea and Theme

A passage states that a town's annual flood was blamed on heavy rain, but records show the river had been straightened and its wetlands filled decades earlier. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Records from decades ago are often incomplete.
  2. Wetlands absorb more water than rivers do.
  3. Land changes made earlier can worsen later flooding more than a single storm. Correct answer.
  4. Heavy rain causes flooding in most towns.

Explanation

The passage contrasts a common explanation with historical evidence, and its main idea is the conclusion that evidence supports. The straightened river and filled wetlands are the deeper cause the author emphasizes. Options that restate the popular belief or make unrelated claims miss that contrast.

Question 38Main Idea and Theme

A passage about a school's rooftop garden lists science lessons, a salad bar, and cooler classrooms. Which sentence is the best summary of the main idea?

  1. Salad bars encourage students to eat vegetables.
  2. Science lessons are more effective outdoors.
  3. Rooftops are usually unused space.
  4. A rooftop garden served several purposes for a school. Correct answer.

Explanation

A summary must be broad enough to include every listed benefit without adding claims. 'Several purposes' covers lessons, food, and cooling at once. The other options pick one benefit or add a comparison the passage does not make.

Question 39Main Idea and Theme

A narrator describes returning to a childhood home and finding it smaller and shabbier than remembered, then reflects that 'memory had done the painting.' Which theme is developed?

  1. Memory can color the past more kindly than reality warrants. Correct answer.
  2. Old houses are usually poorly maintained.
  3. Returning home is always disappointing.
  4. Childhood homes should be preserved as landmarks.

Explanation

The narrator's reflection is the key to the theme: memory idealizes the past. The contrast between the remembered and actual house supports that message. Options that generalize about houses or use absolutes like 'always' overreach beyond the passage.

Question 40Main Idea and Theme

A passage notes that a vaccine must be kept cold, that clinics in remote areas lack reliable power, and that a new solar cooler solved the problem. Which sentence states the main idea?

  1. Vaccines are delicate and expensive to produce.
  2. Remote clinics often lack trained staff.
  3. A solar-powered cooler helped remote clinics store vaccines safely. Correct answer.
  4. Solar panels are becoming cheaper each year.

Explanation

The passage sets up a problem and presents a solution, so the main idea centers on that solution. The solar cooler resolves the storage problem described in the first two details. The other options introduce unrelated facts or details the passage does not mention.

Question 41Supporting Details and Explicit Information

A passage states: "The library extended its weekend hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. after a survey showed that most students studied late." According to the passage, what directly caused the library to extend its weekend hours?

  1. A budget increase from the university
  2. A request from the library staff
  3. A survey showing most students studied late Correct answer.
  4. A rise in weekend book checkouts

Explanation

Supporting-detail questions ask you to locate the stated cause rather than infer one. The passage links the extension directly to a survey result about late studying, so that is the explicitly stated reason.

Question 42Supporting Details and Explicit Information

A passage says: "The expedition reached the summit on the third attempt, after two earlier tries were turned back by blizzards." What does the passage explicitly say stopped the first two attempts?

  1. A broken radio
  2. A shortage of supplies
  3. An injured climber
  4. Blizzards Correct answer.

Explanation

The sentence directly attributes the two earlier failures to blizzards. A detail question requires matching the stated reason, not adding plausible mountain hazards that the text never mentions.

Question 43Supporting Details and Explicit Information

A passage reads: "The city planted 400 trees along Elm Street last spring; by autumn, 350 had survived." How many of the planted trees survived by autumn?

  1. 400
  2. 50
  3. 750
  4. 350 Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage gives the survival figure directly as 350. Detail questions may present numbers that require you to select the exact stated value rather than compute a new one.

Question 44Supporting Details and Explicit Information

A passage states: "The recipe calls for two cups of flour, one cup of sugar, and a pinch of salt, baked at 375 degrees for 25 minutes." According to the passage, at what temperature should the item be baked?

  1. 400 degrees
  2. 250 degrees
  3. 375 degrees Correct answer.
  4. 350 degrees

Explanation

The passage specifies 375 degrees as the baking temperature. When a detail question asks for a stated value, choose the exact figure given rather than a similar-sounding one.

Question 45Supporting Details and Explicit Information

A passage says: "Dr. Okonkwo, a marine biologist, spent twelve years tagging sea turtles in the Gulf before publishing her findings." What is Dr. Okonkwo's profession according to the passage?

  1. A marine biologist Correct answer.
  2. A university dean
  3. A wildlife photographer
  4. A ship's captain

Explanation

The passage identifies Dr. Okonkwo directly as a marine biologist. Explicit-information questions reward locating the label the text actually attaches to the person.

Question 46Supporting Details and Explicit Information

A passage reads: "The museum's new wing opens on March 14 and will display more than 200 works by local artists." According to the passage, whose works will the new wing display?

  1. International sculptors
  2. Museum founders
  3. Local artists Correct answer.
  4. Visiting students

Explanation

The passage states that the wing will display works by local artists. A supporting-detail question asks you to report that stated group rather than substitute another category.

Question 47Supporting Details and Explicit Information

A passage states: "Because the bridge was closed for repairs, commuters took the ferry, and ridership rose by 40 percent." According to the passage, why did ferry ridership rise?

  1. Ferry fares were lowered
  2. A new ferry terminal opened
  3. The weather improved
  4. The bridge was closed for repairs Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage uses "because" to tie the bridge closure to the rise in ferry ridership. That explicit causal signal identifies the stated reason.

Question 48Supporting Details and Explicit Information

A passage says: "The team's coach, Ms. Rivera, required every player to attend study hall before practice." According to the passage, what did the coach require players to do before practice?

  1. Submit permission forms
  2. Attend study hall Correct answer.
  3. Review game footage
  4. Run two miles

Explanation

The passage names study hall as the pre-practice requirement set by the coach. Detail questions require reporting the stated obligation exactly as written.

Question 49Supporting Details and Explicit Information

A passage states: "Although the storm delayed the flight by two hours, the passengers arrived in time for the conference's opening dinner." What does the passage explicitly say about the passengers' arrival?

  1. They reached the dinner before it began Correct answer.
  2. They arrived a full day late
  3. They missed the opening dinner
  4. They canceled their conference plans

Explanation

The passage states the passengers arrived in time for the opening dinner, meaning they were not late for it. The contrast word "although" separates the delay from the on-time arrival.

Question 50Supporting Details and Explicit Information

A passage reads: "The novel sold modestly at first, but after a popular book club selected it, sales tripled within a month." According to the passage, what happened after the book club selected the novel?

  1. Sales tripled within a month Correct answer.
  2. The author wrote a sequel
  3. The novel won a major award
  4. The publisher raised the price

Explanation

The passage links the book club selection to a tripling of sales within a month. Supporting-detail questions require the stated outcome, not an unrelated event.