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GCE A/L General English study materials
GCE A/L General English study resources

GCE A/L General English practice questions

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Question 1Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Read this passage: "The old lighthouse keeper climbed the spiral stairs each evening, though the electric lamp had replaced his oil lantern years before. He still carried a cloth to polish the great lens, and he still wrote the weather in a leather book. Visitors asked why he bothered. He never answered, but each morning the book lay open on the table, its pages filled." What does the keeper's behaviour most strongly suggest about him?

  1. He is trying to impress the visitors who come to the lighthouse.
  2. He has forgotten that the oil lantern was replaced.
  3. He values routine and craft even after his duties have become unnecessary. Correct answer.
  4. He distrusts the new electric lamp and expects it to fail.

Explanation

The passage shows repeated, voluntary actions (polishing, recording weather) that no longer serve a practical function, which points to a personal commitment to routine and craft. Nothing suggests mechanical distrust, a wish to impress, or confusion about the change.

Question 2Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In the sentence "Although the harvest was poor, the villagers celebrated with unusual enthusiasm," what is the function of the opening clause?

  1. It lists a series of events.
  2. It states the main point of the sentence.
  3. It gives the cause of the celebration.
  4. It introduces a contrast with the main clause. Correct answer.

Explanation

The conjunction 'although' signals concession, so the first clause sets up an expectation that the main clause contradicts. The main point is the celebration, not the poor harvest, and no causal or listing relationship is expressed.

Question 3Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Passage: "The museum's new wing was designed to let visitors move freely. There are no fixed routes, no arrows on the floor, and no prescribed order. Yet most people, once inside, drift towards the brightest room first." Which statement is best supported by the passage?

  1. Visitors ignore the museum's design entirely.
  2. Freedom of movement does not guarantee unpredictable behaviour. Correct answer.
  3. The brightest room contains the most important exhibits.
  4. The museum regrets removing the fixed routes.

Explanation

The passage contrasts the absence of prescribed routes with the observation that visitors still behave in a fairly consistent way, which supports the idea that freedom does not produce random behaviour. The other options add claims the text does not make.

Question 4Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Which word in the sentence "The committee reached a unanimous decision, though the debate had been fierce" carries the meaning 'without disagreement'?

  1. unanimous Correct answer.
  2. fierce
  3. debate
  4. committee

Explanation

'Unanimous' means that all members agree, i.e. there is no disagreement. The other words refer to the group, the discussion, or its intensity, not to agreement.

Question 5Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Read: "The river, once a highway for timber rafts, now carries only pleasure boats. The old wharves rot quietly, and the warehouses have become cafés." What is the main purpose of this description?

  1. To contrast the river's past and present uses Correct answer.
  2. To describe the dangers of the river
  3. To explain how timber was transported
  4. To criticise the owners of the cafés

Explanation

The passage sets the earlier commercial role of the river against its present recreational role, using the wharves and warehouses as evidence of change. It does not teach timber transport, criticise anyone, or discuss danger.

Question 6Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Passage: "She read the letter twice, folded it carefully along its original creases, and placed it in the drawer with the others." What does the detail about the 'original creases' most likely indicate?

  1. The letter is very old and fragile.
  2. She has handled and refolded this letter before. Correct answer.
  3. She intends to post the letter onwards.
  4. The drawer is too small for the letter.

Explanation

Folding along existing creases implies the letter has been folded in exactly this way previously, suggesting repeated handling. Age, drawer size, and posting are not supported by the detail.

Question 7Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Which option best states the writer's attitude in: "It is fashionable to dismiss these small village schools as inefficient. Efficiency, however, is not the only measure of a school's worth."?

  1. Wholehearted agreement with the fashionable view
  2. Complete indifference to the debate
  3. Confusion about what efficiency means
  4. Polite but firm disagreement with the fashionable view Correct answer.

Explanation

The writer acknowledges the fashionable view before rejecting its criterion with 'however', which signals measured disagreement rather than hostility. Agreement, indifference, and confusion all conflict with the concessive-then-rebutting structure.

Question 8Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In the passage "The scheme was praised in the capital but met with silence in the provinces," what does the word 'silence' most plausibly represent?

  1. A deliberate ban on discussion
  2. A literal absence of sound in the provinces
  3. Lack of public response or endorsement Correct answer.
  4. Agreement that was never recorded

Explanation

Set against 'praised', 'silence' functions figuratively to mean no expressed reaction or support. It is not literal quiet, an official ban, or hidden agreement.

Question 9Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Passage: "The bridge was built to last a century. It lasted ninety-seven years, which its engineers counted as a triumph." Why do the engineers regard ninety-seven years as a triumph?

  1. Because the bridge collapsed dramatically.
  2. Because the bridge was rebuilt immediately.
  3. Because the century had been a legal requirement.
  4. Because the target was a rough expectation, and the result came very close to it. Correct answer.

Explanation

The stated aim of 'a century' is a design expectation, and ninety-seven years is near enough to be judged a success. Collapse, rebuilding, and legal obligation are not stated in the passage.

Question 10Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Which sentence from a passage would best serve as evidence that the writer relies on personal experience rather than statistics?

  1. "Surveys show that 62 per cent of readers prefer print."
  2. "Analysts predict further consolidation in the sector."
  3. "When I first opened the shop, three customers came in a single week." Correct answer.
  4. "The industry grew by a fifth between 2010 and 2020."

Explanation

A first-person anecdote with specific personal detail is the clearest marker of experiential evidence. The other options cite surveys, growth figures, and analyst forecasts, all of which are external or statistical.

Question 11Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Passage: "He was a careful man. He checked the locks twice, then a third time, and only then allowed himself to sleep." What does the third check most strongly imply?

  1. He suspects his neighbours of burglary.
  2. He enjoys counting things.
  3. He has forgotten whether he locked the door.
  4. His caution has become a source of anxiety. Correct answer.

Explanation

Checking twice already exceeds ordinary caution; a third check before sleep suggests the habit is driven by unease rather than practical need. Forgetfulness, suspicion of neighbours, and enjoyment are not supported.

Question 12Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

What is the effect of the short sentence "Nobody moved." placed after a long description of a crowded hall?

  1. It introduces a new character.
  2. It changes the subject of the passage.
  3. It creates emphasis by abrupt contrast with the longer sentences. Correct answer.
  4. It slows the pace and adds detail.

Explanation

A very short sentence after longer ones stands out and concentrates attention on the moment described. It does not add detail, shift topic, or introduce anyone new.

Question 13Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Read: "The proposal was not without merit, but the cost gave the committee pause." What does the sentence imply about the committee's view?

  1. They rejected the proposal outright.
  2. They had not yet read the proposal.
  3. They saw some value in it but were worried by the expense. Correct answer.
  4. They approved it despite the cost.

Explanation

The double negative 'not without merit' concedes some value, while 'gave pause' indicates hesitation caused by cost. Outright rejection, approval, and ignorance all go beyond what is stated.

Question 14Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

A passage describes a town's festival, then remarks: "Of course, the visitors who fill the streets in August are gone by November." What is the function of this remark?

  1. To introduce the festival's history.
  2. To describe the weather in November.
  3. To qualify the festive picture with an economic reality. Correct answer.
  4. To give the number of visitors.

Explanation

'Of course' signals an acknowledged qualification, and the seasonal departure of visitors points to the town's dependence on temporary trade. No figures, weather details, or history are offered.

Question 15Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In "Her argument was elegant, but it rested on a single unexamined assumption," the word 'rested on' is used to mean:

  1. depended on Correct answer.
  2. refused to move
  3. was written about
  4. relaxed upon

Explanation

'Rested on' here is figurative, meaning that the argument depended on the assumption as its basis. The literal senses of physical resting or refusal to move do not fit the context of reasoning.

Question 16Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Passage: "The letters were written in pencil, on the backs of grocery bills and torn envelopes. Yet their sentences are as controlled as any published essay." What contrast is the writer drawing?

  1. Between the humble materials and the quality of the writing Correct answer.
  2. Between the writer's poverty and wealth
  3. Between private and public correspondence
  4. Between handwriting and typing

Explanation

The passage contrasts cheap, improvised stationery with carefully crafted prose, using 'yet' to mark the surprise. Poverty versus wealth, handwriting versus typing, and private versus public are not the stated contrast.

Question 17Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Which option best describes the structure of a paragraph that begins with a general claim, gives two examples, then notes an exception?

  1. Comparison of two equal subjects
  2. Claim, illustration, qualification Correct answer.
  3. Chronological narrative
  4. Problem followed by solution

Explanation

The paragraph opens with a general statement, supports it with examples, and then limits it with an exception, which is a claim-illustration-qualification pattern. There is no time sequence, balanced comparison, or problem-solution pairing.

Question 18Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Passage: "The council promised to consult residents. It held one meeting, on a weekday morning, and declared the matter settled." What is the writer's implied judgement?

  1. The consultation was a token gesture rather than genuine. Correct answer.
  2. The consultation was thorough and fair.
  3. The residents refused to attend.
  4. The council lacked the authority to decide.

Explanation

A single weekday-morning meeting followed by a swift declaration implies that consultation was minimal and largely for appearances. The details undercut any claim of thoroughness, and no refusal or lack of authority is stated.

Question 19Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In the sentence "The scientist's caution was infectious: soon the whole laboratory double-checked every result," the word 'infectious' is best understood as:

  1. requiring medical treatment
  2. spreading quickly among others Correct answer.
  3. causing disease
  4. being unpleasant to others

Explanation

Used of a quality such as caution, 'infectious' means it spread from person to person, here influencing the whole laboratory. The medical senses are literal and do not fit the context of behaviour.

Question 20Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

A passage states: "Reading is often described as a conversation with the dead. The metaphor is apt, but it hides the fact that the dead cannot answer back." What is the writer doing in the second sentence?

  1. Introducing a new topic unrelated to reading
  2. Rejecting the metaphor completely
  3. Explaining how the dead once spoke
  4. Accepting the metaphor while pointing out its limitation Correct answer.

Explanation

'The metaphor is apt, but...' concedes the metaphor's value before identifying what it conceals, which is a qualified acceptance. The writer does not reject it outright, explain speech, or change the subject.

Question 21Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Passage: "Every reform, we are told, must pay for itself. But some goods are valuable precisely because they cannot be priced." Which assumption does the writer challenge?

  1. That writers are unreliable
  2. That reforms are always popular
  3. That goods are always scarce
  4. That value can only be measured in financial terms Correct answer.

Explanation

The writer attacks the demand that reforms 'pay for itself', which assumes worth equals financial return, by noting goods valuable beyond pricing. Popularity, scarcity, and the reliability of writers are not the target.

Question 22Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Read: "The village band plays on the green every Sunday. The players are few and the tunes are old. Nobody has suggested they stop." Which inference is most reasonable?

  1. The band is professionally successful.
  2. The tradition is valued despite its modest scale. Correct answer.
  3. The band is about to disband.
  4. The villagers dislike the music.

Explanation

The absence of any call to stop, combined with the regular Sunday performance, implies the tradition is quietly valued even though it is small and old-fashioned. Professional success, dislike, and imminent disbanding contradict the details.

Question 23Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In a passage about a failed expedition, the writer notes that "the maps were excellent; it was the weather that had not been consulted." What does this remark suggest about the failure?

  1. The weather was unusually mild.
  2. Planning was adequate on paper but ignored the unpredictable element. Correct answer.
  3. The maps were inaccurate.
  4. The expedition had no maps at all.

Explanation

Praising the maps while noting the unconsulted weather implies that preparation was sound in theory but neglected the variable that mattered. The maps are explicitly called excellent, and no claim is made about mild weather.

Question 24Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Which feature most clearly marks a passage as argumentative rather than purely descriptive?

  1. Use of past tense throughout
  2. Signposting such as 'therefore' and 'it does not follow that' Correct answer.
  3. Detailed sensory description of a place
  4. Dialogue between two characters

Explanation

Logical connectives and phrases that test inferences are the hallmarks of argument, since they show reasoning from premises to conclusions. Tense, dialogue, and sensory detail can appear in any kind of writing.

Question 25Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Passage: "He apologised for the delay, at length and in detail, until the apology itself became the delay." What is the effect of the final clause?

  1. It introduces a second character.
  2. It resolves the situation quickly.
  3. It explains the cause of the original delay.
  4. It creates irony by showing the apology prolonging what it should end. Correct answer.

Explanation

The clause turns the apology into a further delay, producing irony at the speaker's expense. It does not speed things up, introduce anyone new, or explain the original cause.

Question 26Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

A candidate reads this sentence in an unseen passage: "The museum's trustees rejected the plan, not because it was costly, but because it was timid." Which inference about the trustees is best supported by the sentence?

  1. They wanted the plan to be more cautious.
  2. They objected to the plan's lack of ambition. Correct answer.
  3. They had already approved a rival plan.
  4. They were unable to judge the plan's expense.

Explanation

The construction 'not because... but because' explicitly moves the reason for rejection away from cost and towards timidity. 'Timid' describes the plan as lacking boldness, so the trustees' objection is to its caution, which is the opposite of ambition.

Question 27Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In an unseen passage a traveller writes: "The innkeeper assured me that the road was short. I later learned that he measured roads in hours, not miles, and that he had never travelled beyond the next valley." What does the passage suggest about the innkeeper's assurance?

  1. It was well meant but based on a limited viewpoint. Correct answer.
  2. It was a deliberate attempt to mislead the traveller.
  3. It was accurate because hours are better than miles.
  4. It was reliable because he knew the local roads well.

Explanation

The writer undercuts the assurance by revealing two things: the innkeeper's unusual unit of measurement and his lack of experience beyond the valley. Nothing suggests malice, so the effect is to present the assurance as sincere but unreliable rather than dishonest.

Question 28Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage says of a new library: "It has been open a year, and the borrowing figures are modest. But a library is not a shop, and a book borrowed twice may be a life changed once." Which assumption underlies the writer's defence of the library?

  1. Books are more valuable when they are rarely borrowed.
  2. Libraries should be judged mainly by their sales.
  3. A library's value is proven only after many years.
  4. Borrowing figures are an unreliable measure of a library's worth. Correct answer.

Explanation

The writer concedes the modest figures but immediately argues that a library is 'not a shop', implying that counting borrowings misses what matters. The defence therefore rests on the assumption that borrowing statistics are a poor gauge of value.

Question 29Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Read this extract from an unseen passage: "The committee's report was thorough. It ran to three hundred pages, cited four hundred sources, and answered every question except the one that had been asked." What is the writer's tone towards the report?

  1. Openly furious
  2. Neutral and purely factual
  3. Ironically critical Correct answer.
  4. Admiring of its scholarship

Explanation

The list of impressive details builds an expectation of praise, which the final clause deflates by showing the report missed the central question. The effect is dry irony rather than straightforward admiration or anger.

Question 30Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage describes a coastal village: "The boats come back at dusk. The nets are mended on the wall. The same three dogs patrol the harbour." Which feature of the writing most strongly conveys routine?

  1. The use of present-tense statements in short parallel sentences. Correct answer.
  2. The mention of a specific number of dogs.
  3. The reference to the time of day at which boats return.
  4. The choice of the word 'harbour' rather than 'port'.

Explanation

The repeated present-tense pattern with brief, similarly shaped sentences presents each action as habitual and unvarying. This grammatical regularity is what creates the sense of an unchanging daily round.

Question 31Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In an unseen passage a historian writes: "We call the period 'the age of reform', as though a single label could hold a hundred arguments, a thousand committees, and a million reluctant compromises." What is the writer's point about the label?

  1. It was invented by the committees themselves.
  2. It is the most accurate description available.
  3. It oversimplifies a complicated and contested reality. Correct answer.
  4. It should be replaced by a longer phrase.

Explanation

The phrase 'as though a single label could hold' signals scepticism, and the escalating list of arguments, committees and compromises shows how much the label leaves out. The writer is therefore criticising the label for simplifying a messy reality.

Question 32Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage contains the sentence: "The old teacher spoke seldom, and when she did, the room arranged itself around her words." Which reading of the second clause is best supported?

  1. Her words caused the furniture to be moved.
  2. The room was too small for the number of listeners.
  3. Her rare speech commanded immediate and complete attention. Correct answer.
  4. The students were arranged in rows before she spoke.

Explanation

The clause is figurative: the room 'arranging itself' around her words pictures everyone turning towards and organising themselves by what she says. Combined with 'spoke seldom', it stresses the weight her rare remarks carried.

Question 33Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage about city planning states: "Widening the road did not shorten the journey; it merely lengthened the queue of cars waiting to use it." Which logical relationship does the second clause establish with the first?

  1. It gives an example that supports the first clause.
  2. It restates the first clause in simpler words.
  3. It qualifies the first clause by showing the change had a different, unwanted effect. Correct answer.
  4. It offers a cause for the outcome described in the first clause.

Explanation

The semicolon joins a denied expectation to a corrective statement introduced by 'merely'. The second clause does not support the first but replaces the expected benefit with an unintended consequence.

Question 34Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In an unseen passage a naturalist records: "The herons returned to the marsh in the spring of 1998, after an absence of forty years. Nobody had invited them. Nothing had been done to encourage them. They simply came back." What is the effect of the three short sentences that follow the first?

  1. They stress that the return was spontaneous and unplanned. Correct answer.
  2. They show that the naturalist was uninterested in the birds.
  3. They suggest that the herons were brought by local people.
  4. They indicate that the marsh had been restored.

Explanation

The negations ('nobody had invited', 'nothing had been done') followed by 'simply came back' remove any suggestion of human agency. The clipped rhythm reinforces the plain fact of an unprompted return.

Question 35Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage says: "The new manager inherited a staff that had learned to survive without direction. He gave them direction, and they spent a year learning to survive with it." What does the second sentence imply about the staff?

  1. They preferred the previous manager's methods.
  2. They adapted to the new management without difficulty.
  3. They ignored the new manager's instructions entirely.
  4. They found the change of regime unsettling and had to adjust. Correct answer.

Explanation

The parallel phrasing turns 'survive' from an old condition into a new one, implying that direction itself was something to be survived. The year spent learning suggests a difficult period of adjustment rather than easy acceptance.

Question 36Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Read this sentence from an unseen passage: "Her evidence was of the kind that convinces those already convinced and leaves everyone else exactly where they stood." Which criticism of the evidence is being made?

  1. It persuades only readers who need no persuading. Correct answer.
  2. It relies on documents that cannot be checked.
  3. It is too detailed to be followed easily.
  4. It contradicts itself in several places.

Explanation

The sentence divides readers into two groups: those already convinced, who accept the evidence, and everyone else, who do not move. The implied criticism is that the evidence has no power to change minds, only to confirm existing belief.

Question 37Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage begins: "Before we ask whether the dam should be built, we should ask who will be asked, and who will not." What does the writer want the reader to focus on first?

  1. The environmental impact of the dam
  2. The engineering cost of the dam
  3. The question of who is included in the decision Correct answer.
  4. The historical record of similar dams

Explanation

The sentence postpones the question of whether to build and puts in its place a question about who is consulted. The repetition of 'asked' and the contrast between 'who will' and 'who will not' make participation the writer's first concern.

Question 38Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In an unseen passage a reviewer writes: "The novel's plot is slight, its characters few, its sentences plain. It is also the most moving book I have read this year." What does the reviewer's argument depend on?

  1. The claim that plot is unimportant in every kind of novel.
  2. The claim that plain writing is always superior to elaborate writing.
  3. The claim that few characters make a novel easier to read.
  4. The claim that simplicity in these features need not prevent emotional power. Correct answer.

Explanation

The reviewer lists apparent limitations and then asserts great emotional effect, so the argument depends on separating technical simplicity from emotional impact. The concession-and-turn structure only works if the two can come apart.

Question 39Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage describes a market: "By seven the stalls were up, the awnings bright as flags, the air thick with the smell of frying onions and the sound of prices being argued over." Which sense is appealed to in addition to sight?

  1. Smell and hearing Correct answer.
  2. Taste and smell
  3. Hearing only
  4. Touch and taste

Explanation

The description names 'the smell of frying onions' and 'the sound of prices being argued over', which appeal to smell and hearing respectively. Bright awnings supply the visual detail, so the question asks for the additional senses beyond sight.

Question 40Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In an unseen passage a speaker says: "I am not against progress. I am against calling every change progress." Which distinction is the speaker drawing?

  1. Between change itself and genuine improvement Correct answer.
  2. Between progress in cities and progress in villages
  3. Between public and private kinds of change
  4. Between change that is fast and change that is slow

Explanation

The speaker accepts progress but objects to the loose use of the word for any change. The distinction is therefore between mere alteration and change that is actually an improvement.

Question 41Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage states: "The expedition failed. The diaries, however, record no despair, only a careful listing of the food that remained and the boots that had worn through." What does the contrast between the two sentences achieve?

  1. It shows that practical record-keeping continued amid failure. Correct answer.
  2. It suggests the diarists were hiding their true feelings.
  3. It criticises the diarists for being unprepared.
  4. It implies the expedition did not really fail.

Explanation

The blunt verdict 'failed' is followed by a 'however' that shifts to the diaries' calm practicality. The contrast highlights how the diarists went on noting supplies and equipment rather than expressing emotion.

Question 42Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Read this sentence from an unseen passage: "The professor's lectures were famous for their length, and notorious for their length alone." What does the second clause imply?

  1. The lectures were short and admired for their brevity.
  2. The lectures were popular because they were easy to follow.
  3. The lectures were famous for their content rather than their length.
  4. The lectures were admired for their length but had no other merit. Correct answer.

Explanation

The shift from 'famous' to 'notorious' and the word 'alone' narrow the lectures' reputation to a single feature. The implication is that length was their only distinguishing quality, and not a flattering one.

Question 43Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage about a language says: "Its speakers number fewer than two thousand, most of them past sixty. The grammar books are thorough. The children are not learning it." What is the passage chiefly concerned to convey?

  1. The language is thoroughly described but in danger of disappearing. Correct answer.
  2. The language is well documented and therefore secure.
  3. Children are learning the language faster than expected.
  4. The grammar books are poorly written.

Explanation

The thorough grammar books show the language has been recorded, but the small, ageing speaker base and the children's failure to learn it point to decline. The passage balances documentation against the likelihood of loss.

Question 44Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage contains the sentence: "The rain, which had threatened all afternoon, finally arrived, and the whole village seemed to exhale." What does the final image suggest about the villagers' feelings?

  1. Relief that the waiting was over Correct answer.
  2. Indifference to the weather
  3. Fear of the coming storm
  4. Anger at the ruined afternoon

Explanation

The word 'finally' presents the rain as long awaited, and 'seemed to exhale' is an image of released tension. Together they convey relief after a period of suspense rather than displeasure or fear.

Question 45Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In an unseen passage a writer remarks: "Cities are often described as machines for living in. The metaphor is useful until you notice that machines do not have neighbours." What point is the writer making?

  1. The metaphor ignores the social life of a city. Correct answer.
  2. Cities should be redesigned as machines.
  3. Neighbours are less important than efficiency.
  4. Machines are more efficient than cities.

Explanation

The writer grants the metaphor's usefulness but limits it by noting what it leaves out: neighbours, meaning relationships between people. The criticism is that describing a city as a machine omits its human and social dimension.

Question 46Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage reports: "The council's survey found strong support for the new park. It was completed by two hundred residents, of whom one hundred and ninety lived within sight of the proposed site." Why might a careful reader question the survey's conclusion?

  1. Two hundred is too large a number for any survey.
  2. Surveys cannot measure support for public projects.
  3. The residents were asked about a different park.
  4. The sample may be biased towards those who would benefit most. Correct answer.

Explanation

Almost all respondents live close to the proposed site, so their views may reflect direct personal benefit rather than the wider population's opinion. The concentration of respondents is what makes the finding questionable.

Question 47Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

Read this sentence from an unseen passage: "He was generous with advice and careful with money, which is to say he gave freely what cost him nothing." What is the writer's attitude to the man?

  1. Pity for his poverty
  2. Warm approval of his generosity
  3. Respect for his financial skill
  4. Dry amusement at his self-serving thrift Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrase 'which is to say' glosses the man's generosity as giving only what costs him nothing, exposing the advice as cheap. The wit is controlled, producing dry amusement rather than open condemnation.

Question 48Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage says of a scientist: "She published little, and what she published she revised for years. Her colleagues, who published much, sometimes wondered aloud how she found the time." What does the remark about her colleagues reveal?

  1. They understood her working methods well.
  2. They measured effort by output and so misread her. Correct answer.
  3. They envied her careful approach.
  4. They published less than she did.

Explanation

The colleagues equate productivity with frequent publication, so her slow, careful revising looks to them like idleness. Their puzzlement shows that they judge by quantity and therefore misunderstand her approach.

Question 49Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

In an unseen passage a traveller writes: "Every town I passed through assured me that the next town was the interesting one. By the fifth such assurance I began to suspect a pattern." What does the traveller come to realise?

  1. The fifth town was genuinely the most interesting.
  2. The townspeople were deliberately lying to him.
  3. Each town undervalued itself in favour of its neighbour. Correct answer.
  4. He had taken the wrong road some days earlier.

Explanation

The repeated assurance that the next town is the interesting one, and the traveller's growing suspicion of 'a pattern', suggest a shared habit of looking past one's own town. The realisation is about local self-deprecation, not deception.

Question 50Reading comprehension of unseen prose passages

An unseen passage argues: "We are told to save for a rainy day. Nobody tells us what to do when it rains for a decade." What is the writer questioning?

  1. The value of saving money at any time
  2. The adequacy of short-term advice for long crises Correct answer.
  3. The wisdom of spending rather than saving
  4. The accuracy of weather forecasting

Explanation

The proverb about a rainy day assumes a brief difficulty followed by recovery. By extending the rain to a decade, the writer exposes the limits of advice designed for short setbacks.