I85PREP
⌘ K
Praxis Core Reading study materials
Praxis Core Reading study resources

Praxis Core Reading practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Praxis Core Reading understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Key Ideas and Details

A passage states that a city's bike-lane program reduced collisions by 30 percent, then notes that the city also lowered speed limits citywide the same year. Which conclusion about the passage is best supported?

  1. The bike lanes definitely caused the entire 30 percent reduction in collisions.
  2. The city should immediately remove the bike lanes to test their effect.
  3. The collision drop cannot be attributed to bike lanes alone because another safety change occurred simultaneously. Correct answer.
  4. The lowered speed limits had no effect on collision rates.

Explanation

When two changes happen at the same time, a reader cannot isolate which one produced the observed result. The passage itself supplies the confound by mentioning the simultaneous speed-limit change, so the cautious conclusion is that the bike lanes are only one possible cause.

Question 2Key Ideas and Details

Read this short passage: 'Mara had rehearsed the speech for weeks. She knew every line. Yet when she stepped to the podium, her notes blurred and her voice dropped to a whisper.' Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?

  1. Mara's audience was hostile and distracted her on purpose.
  2. Mara had never practiced her speech before the event.
  3. Mara decided to abandon public speaking permanently.
  4. Mara's preparation did not prevent her from faltering when she actually performed. Correct answer.

Explanation

The main idea captures the central contrast the passage builds: extensive preparation followed by an unexpected failure at the moment of delivery. The word 'Yet' signals that contrast, which is the point of the paragraph rather than a minor detail.

Question 3Key Ideas and Details

A paragraph opens with 'Most people assume that goldfish have three-second memories.' It then describes experiments showing goldfish remembering tasks for months. Which sentence most likely appears at the end of the paragraph to complete its structure?

  1. These findings challenge the popular belief that goldfish forget almost instantly. Correct answer.
  2. Aquarium owners should clean their tanks at least once a week.
  3. Scientists first began studying fish behavior in the nineteenth century.
  4. Goldfish are among the most popular pets in the world today.

Explanation

A paragraph that opens with a common assumption and then presents contradicting evidence typically closes by stating what that evidence means for the assumption. The closing sentence should tie the experiments back to the opening claim.

Question 4Key Ideas and Details

A passage reports: 'The museum's new wing drew record attendance in its first month. However, donations fell sharply during the same period.' Which inference is most reasonable?

  1. The new wing was unpopular with visitors.
  2. The museum should close the new wing immediately.
  3. Record attendance always causes a drop in donations.
  4. High attendance does not automatically translate into increased financial support. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage sets attendance and donations in opposition with 'However,' showing that one rose while the other fell. The safest inference is that visitor numbers and donations are separate measures that can move in different directions.

Question 5Key Ideas and Details

A writer argues: 'Every student who used the online tutor passed the exam. Therefore, the tutor is responsible for their passing.' Which assumption does this argument rely on?

  1. All students in the school used the online tutor.
  2. Online tools are always more effective than in-person tutoring.
  3. Students who used the tutor would not have passed without it. Correct answer.
  4. The exam was unusually easy that year.

Explanation

To move from 'students who used the tutor passed' to 'the tutor caused the passing,' the argument must assume the students would have failed otherwise. Without that assumption, other factors could explain the results.

Question 6Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The recipe calls for fresh basil. Dried basil can be substituted, but the flavor will be noticeably weaker. Cooks who want a robust dish should plan ahead and buy fresh herbs.' What is the author's main point about dried basil?

  1. It is an acceptable substitute, though it produces a less intense flavor. Correct answer.
  2. It costs more than fresh basil at most stores.
  3. It is actually stronger in flavor than fresh basil.
  4. It is completely unusable in the recipe.

Explanation

The passage grants that dried basil can be substituted while warning that the flavor will be weaker. The main point combines both halves of that statement rather than treating dried basil as forbidden.

Question 7Key Ideas and Details

A passage notes that a study surveyed only volunteers who responded to an online advertisement. Which criticism of the study's findings is best supported by this detail?

  1. The sample may not represent the broader population because volunteers may differ from non-volunteers. Correct answer.
  2. The study should have used a larger advertisement.
  3. Online surveys always produce more accurate data than in-person surveys.
  4. The study's results are automatically false and should be discarded entirely.

Explanation

Volunteer samples can introduce self-selection bias, because people who choose to respond may differ systematically from those who do not. The supported criticism is about representativeness, not about declaring the results worthless.

Question 8Key Ideas and Details

'Although the bridge was completed on schedule, the surrounding roads remained unfinished for another year.' Which idea does the sentence emphasize about the project's overall completion?

  1. The project was cancelled before the roads were built.
  2. The surrounding roads were completed before the bridge.
  3. The bridge was finished far behind schedule.
  4. The project as a whole was not fully usable when the bridge itself was finished. Correct answer.

Explanation

The contrast signaled by 'Although' separates the bridge's on-time completion from the delayed roads. The emphasis falls on the gap between finishing the bridge and finishing the whole project.

Question 9Key Ideas and Details

A passage describes a scientist who repeatedly failed to replicate an experiment but continued refining her method for years. Which statement best captures what the passage suggests about the scientist?

  1. She valued the process of careful investigation even when results did not come quickly. Correct answer.
  2. She expected the experiment to succeed on the first attempt.
  3. She was careless and refused to learn from her mistakes.
  4. She abandoned the research after a single failure.

Explanation

Continuing to refine a method across repeated failures implies persistence and commitment to rigorous process. The passage presents this as a characteristic of the scientist rather than a criticism.

Question 10Key Ideas and Details

A paragraph about urban trees lists benefits: shade, cleaner air, and reduced flooding. It then states, 'Yet many cities cut their tree budgets first when money is tight.' What is the function of the final sentence in the paragraph?

  1. It summarizes the list of benefits provided earlier.
  2. It defines what an urban tree budget includes.
  3. It provides a second example of how trees reduce flooding.
  4. It introduces a contrast between the documented benefits and actual budget priorities. Correct answer.

Explanation

The word 'Yet' signals a turn, and the sentence contrasts the benefits just listed with the way cities behave when budgets shrink. That is a contrastive function, not a summary or a definition.

Question 11Key Ideas and Details

'The novelist's early works sold poorly, but her later novels became bestsellers after a film adaptation introduced her to new readers.' According to the passage, what most directly preceded the rise in sales of her later novels?

  1. A film adaptation that reached new readers Correct answer.
  2. A change in her writing style
  3. A review published in a literary journal
  4. A reduction in the price of her books

Explanation

This is a detail question: the passage states the later novels became bestsellers 'after a film adaptation introduced her to new readers.' The film adaptation is the stated trigger.

Question 12Key Ideas and Details

A speaker claims: 'Our recycling program is a success because participation has doubled since we mailed flyers to every household.' Which question would best test this reasoning?

  1. What color were the flyers that were mailed?
  2. How much did the flyers cost to print and mail?
  3. How many households are in the city?
  4. Did recycling participation increase in similar cities that did not mail flyers? Correct answer.

Explanation

Testing a causal claim requires checking whether the outcome also occurred without the supposed cause. Comparing with cities that did not send flyers would reveal whether the flyers, rather than other factors, drove the increase.

Question 13Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'Bees are not the only pollinators. Butterflies, moths, beetles, and even some bats carry pollen between flowers. A garden that welcomes only bees may miss many of the creatures that keep plants reproducing.' Which statement best states the passage's main idea?

  1. Gardens should be designed to exclude bats and beetles.
  2. Bees are the most important pollinators in every ecosystem.
  3. Pollination depends on a wider range of animals than bees alone. Correct answer.
  4. Butterflies are more effective pollinators than bats.

Explanation

The passage's central point is that many animals besides bees pollinate, and the final sentence draws out the implication for gardens. The main idea is broader than any single pollinator.

Question 14Key Ideas and Details

A passage says a town's population 'swelled by nearly a third in five years, straining schools and roads that had been planned for a much smaller community.' Which inference is best supported?

  1. The schools and roads were built after the population grew.
  2. The town's population actually declined during those five years.
  3. The town's infrastructure was not designed for the growth it experienced. Correct answer.
  4. The town had planned carefully for rapid population growth.

Explanation

The phrase 'planned for a much smaller community' indicates that schools and roads were sized for fewer people. The strain follows logically from growth outpacing infrastructure planning.

Question 15Key Ideas and Details

An author writes: 'Some critics dismiss graphic novels as mere comic books. Such dismissal ignores the complex narratives and visual craftsmanship that graphic novels often display.' What is the author's attitude toward the critics mentioned?

  1. Fully agreeing with their assessment
  2. Uncertain about whether graphic novels have value
  3. Amused by the critics' sense of humor
  4. Disapproving of their dismissal of graphic novels Correct answer.

Explanation

The author calls the critics' view a 'dismissal' and says it 'ignores' real qualities of graphic novels. That language signals disapproval rather than agreement or neutrality.

Question 16Key Ideas and Details

'The company announced that it would phase out single-use plastics over three years, beginning with packaging and later moving to cafeteria supplies.' According to the passage, which items will be addressed first?

  1. Cafeteria supplies
  2. Delivery vehicles
  3. Office furniture
  4. Packaging Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage specifies the order explicitly: the phase-out begins with packaging and later moves to cafeteria supplies. A detail question like this requires locating the stated sequence.

Question 17Key Ideas and Details

A study finds that students who eat breakfast score higher on morning tests. A reporter concludes that eating breakfast raises test scores. Which alternative explanation should a careful reader consider?

  1. Morning tests are inherently unfair to all students.
  2. Students who eat breakfast may also have other habits, such as regular sleep, that affect scores. Correct answer.
  3. Test scores are impossible to measure accurately.
  4. Breakfast foods are always healthier than other meals.

Explanation

A correlation between breakfast and scores can be explained by a third factor linked to both. Other habits like consistent sleep could drive the higher scores, so the causal conclusion is premature.

Question 18Key Ideas and Details

A passage states: 'The library extended its hours during exams. Visits rose by 40 percent, and students requested even later closing times.' Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. The library should close earlier during exams.
  2. There is demand for the library to stay open later during exams. Correct answer.
  3. Students stopped using the library during exams.
  4. The extended hours caused visits to fall.

Explanation

Rising visits plus requests for later closing both point to unmet demand for extended hours. The conclusion should follow from those two pieces of evidence together.

Question 19Key Ideas and Details

A writer notes that a famous speech 'is often quoted for a single line, but its full text builds a careful argument across several paragraphs.' What is the writer's point about the speech?

  1. Reducing the speech to one line overlooks its larger structure and reasoning. Correct answer.
  2. The speech is valuable only because of its most famous line.
  3. The speech contains no argument at all.
  4. The speech is too long to be worth reading.

Explanation

The contrast between a single quoted line and a careful multi-paragraph argument suggests that the famous line alone misrepresents the whole. The writer values the full structure.

Question 20Key Ideas and Details

'The new policy requires employees to log every client call. Supporters say the logs improve accountability; opponents argue the logging takes time away from actual client work.' Which statement best describes the passage's structure?

  1. It tells a story about a single employee.
  2. It presents two opposing views of a policy. Correct answer.
  3. It describes the steps for implementing a policy.
  4. It compares two different companies' policies.

Explanation

The passage sets supporters' reasoning against opponents' reasoning about the same policy. That balanced presentation of two positions is its organizing structure.

Question 21Key Ideas and Details

A passage reports that a vaccine trial included 30,000 participants across several countries and that results were consistent across all sites. Which conclusion about the findings is best supported?

  1. The consistent results across diverse sites strengthen confidence that the findings are broadly applicable. Correct answer.
  2. The vaccine's effects varied widely from country to country.
  3. Results from one country would have been equally reliable.
  4. The trial was too small to reveal anything useful.

Explanation

Large samples drawn from multiple countries, with consistent results, reduce concerns that findings are specific to one setting. That consistency supports broader applicability.

Question 22Key Ideas and Details

'The old lighthouse stood at the edge of the cliff, its paint faded and its door hanging loose. Still, every night its lamp swept the water.' Which idea does the passage most suggest about the lighthouse?

  1. It is no longer needed by ships at sea.
  2. It remains functional despite its worn appearance. Correct answer.
  3. It has been abandoned and no longer operates.
  4. It was recently repainted and repaired.

Explanation

The description emphasizes decay, but 'Still' signals that the lamp continues to sweep the water each night. The passage contrasts outward condition with continued function.

Question 23Key Ideas and Details

A columnist writes: 'City officials say the new parking rules will reduce congestion. They have offered no data, only assurances. Drivers deserve better than promises.' Which criticism is the columnist making?

  1. Drivers prefer the old parking rules without exception.
  2. The officials have provided too much confusing data.
  3. The officials have not provided evidence to support their claim. Correct answer.
  4. The new rules have already eliminated congestion.

Explanation

The columnist's complaint is that officials offered 'no data, only assurances.' The criticism targets the absence of supporting evidence, not the quantity of data.

Question 24Key Ideas and Details

A passage explains that a desert plant opens its pores at night rather than during the day, taking in carbon dioxide when the air is cooler and more humid. Which statement best summarizes why the plant behaves this way?

  1. Nighttime conditions help the plant conserve water while still obtaining needed gases. Correct answer.
  2. The plant cannot survive in cooler temperatures.
  3. The plant opens its pores during the day to absorb sunlight directly.
  4. The plant takes in carbon dioxide only during rainstorms.

Explanation

The passage links nighttime opening to cooler, more humid air, which reduces water loss while allowing gas exchange. A good summary connects the behavior to that survival advantage.

Question 25Key Ideas and Details

'The committee reviewed twelve proposals. After two rounds of scoring, it selected three for funding and returned the rest with written feedback.' What happened to the proposals that were not funded?

  1. They were funded in a later meeting.
  2. They were resubmitted for a third round of scoring.
  3. They were discarded without comment.
  4. They were returned to their authors with written feedback. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage states directly that the committee returned the remaining proposals with written feedback. This is a literal detail question about what happened to the unfunded proposals.

Question 26Key Ideas and Details

A passage states: 'The museum's new wing opened to record attendance, but within a year visits fell below the levels of the older galleries.' Which statement best expresses the main idea of the sentence?

  1. The museum should close the new wing to save money.
  2. Initial excitement about the new wing did not translate into lasting visitor interest. Correct answer.
  3. The older galleries were always more popular than the new wing.
  4. Record attendance figures are unreliable measures of success.

Explanation

A main idea captures the central point the sentence conveys, which is the contrast between a strong opening and a later decline. The sentence's structure ('but within a year') signals that the lasting outcome is the key idea, not the opening success.

Question 27Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The city planted drought-resistant grasses along the highway medians. Maintenance crews now mow less often and water rarely, and the medians stay green through dry summers.' Which sentence best summarizes the passage?

  1. Maintenance crews prefer to water plants rarely.
  2. Highway medians require frequent mowing.
  3. Choosing drought-resistant grass reduced upkeep while keeping medians green. Correct answer.
  4. Dry summers damage most highway landscaping.

Explanation

A summary states the central point in condensed form, combining the action (planting drought-resistant grass) with its result (less mowing and watering, still green). The other choices seize on a single detail rather than the overall message.

Question 28Key Ideas and Details

A paragraph describes how a chef sources vegetables from nearby farms, plans menus around what is in season, and adjusts dishes when a crop runs out. Which idea is most clearly supported by these details?

  1. The chef's cooking depends on the availability of seasonal ingredients. Correct answer.
  2. Local farming is more profitable than supermarket supply.
  3. Chefs should avoid planning menus in advance.
  4. Seasonal menus are cheaper to produce than fixed menus.

Explanation

The details all show the chef responding to what local farms supply in each season, which supports the idea that the cooking depends on seasonal availability. A supported idea must follow from the specific details given, not from outside claims about cost or profit.

Question 29Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The town's annual river cleanup began with a dozen volunteers. Over five years, as schools and businesses joined, the event grew to more than four hundred participants and expanded to three stretches of river.' Which statement best captures the main idea?

  1. Annual events always attract more volunteers over time.
  2. Three stretches of river were polluted five years ago.
  3. Schools and businesses are required to join town events.
  4. A small volunteer effort grew into a large community event. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage traces growth from a dozen volunteers to over four hundred and from one effort to three river stretches, so the main idea is the expansion of a small effort into a broad community event. The correct choice must account for both the starting point and the growth.

Question 30Key Ideas and Details

A passage notes that a bakery began labeling each loaf with its baking time and ingredients. Customers said the labels helped them choose, and the bakery reported fewer questions at the counter. Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?

  1. Ingredient lists are legally required on all bread.
  2. Customers refused to buy loaves without labels.
  3. The bakery planned to stop baking fresh bread.
  4. The labels reduced customer confusion and staff workload. Correct answer.

Explanation

The supported conclusion follows directly from the two reported results: labels helped customers choose and questions at the counter decreased. A valid inference must be grounded in stated evidence rather than speculation about legal rules or customer refusals.

Question 31Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The hiking club's trail map shows distances in miles but not elevation gain. Members who used the map on steep routes arrived exhausted, while those on flat routes found the estimates accurate.' What is the main problem the passage identifies with the map?

  1. Members refuse to use maps on flat routes.
  2. The map omits information that affects how difficult a hike feels. Correct answer.
  3. The map is too expensive for the club to print.
  4. The distances are measured in the wrong units.

Explanation

The passage contrasts steep and flat routes to show that missing elevation data makes the map misleading about difficulty. The main problem is therefore an omission that affects hikers' experience, not a printing or unit issue.

Question 32Key Ideas and Details

A passage states: 'The theater replaced paper tickets with digital codes. Attendance stayed steady, but the box office reported far fewer lost-ticket complaints.' Which inference is best supported?

  1. The theater lost money by switching to digital codes.
  2. Audiences disliked the change to digital codes.
  3. Digital tickets solved a problem without harming attendance. Correct answer.
  4. Paper tickets had been more popular with audiences.

Explanation

Combining 'attendance stayed steady' with 'far fewer lost-ticket complaints' supports the inference that the change fixed a problem without a downside in turnout. A sound inference joins two stated facts rather than inventing reactions or financial outcomes.

Question 33Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The author spends three chapters describing the invention of the printing press before turning to its effects on literacy. Reviewers praised the detail but noted that the book's central argument appears only in the final chapter.' Which statement best describes the passage's main point about the book?

  1. The book's argument is buried behind extensive background material. Correct answer.
  2. Reviewers disagreed about the book's accuracy.
  3. The final chapter should be removed from the book.
  4. The book contains too little information about the printing press.

Explanation

The passage contrasts three chapters of background with an argument that appears only at the end, so the main point is that the argument is overshadowed by detail. The reviewers' praise for detail combined with their note about placement supports this reading.

Question 34Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The neighborhood association surveyed residents about a proposed dog park. Of 120 responses, 78 supported the park, 30 opposed it, and 12 were undecided. The association's newsletter reported that "residents overwhelmingly favor the park."' Which statement best evaluates the newsletter's claim?

  1. The claim is accurate because most respondents supported the park.
  2. The claim overstates the result, since support was a clear majority but not overwhelming. Correct answer.
  3. The claim is accurate because the survey included all residents.
  4. The claim is inaccurate because most respondents opposed the park.

Explanation

Seventy-eight of 120 responses is about 65 percent, a solid majority but not the near-unanimous level that 'overwhelmingly' implies. Evaluating a claim requires checking whether the wording matches the actual data, and here the language is stronger than the numbers support.

Question 35Key Ideas and Details

A passage describes a study in which two groups of employees used different scheduling software for six months. The group using the new software reported less time planning shifts. The passage then notes that this group had also received two extra training sessions. Which statement best identifies a weakness in concluding the software caused the improvement?

  1. The study lasted only six months.
  2. The study used only two groups of employees.
  3. Employees were asked to report their own planning time.
  4. The groups differed in training as well as software, so the cause of the improvement is unclear. Correct answer.

Explanation

When two groups differ in more than one way, an observed difference cannot be attributed to a single factor. Because the new-software group also received extra training, the improvement could stem from either the software or the training, which weakens the causal conclusion.

Question 36Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The novel's narrator describes every room in the old house in exact detail, from the cracked tiles to the faded wallpaper, yet says almost nothing about the family who lived there.' Which idea is most strongly suggested by the passage?

  1. The novel is set in a single room.
  2. The family moved out before the narrator arrived.
  3. The narrator is more attentive to the house than to the people in it. Correct answer.
  4. The house was recently renovated.

Explanation

The contrast between exhaustive description of rooms and near-silence about the family points to the narrator's attention being fixed on the physical setting. The inference rests on the explicit 'yet' contrast in the passage.

Question 37Key Ideas and Details

A passage reports that a city's bike-share program recorded one million rides in its first year. It then notes that 60 percent of those rides lasted under ten minutes and that most trips began and ended within two blocks of a transit station. Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. Cyclists avoided transit stations entirely.
  2. The program failed to attract riders in its first year.
  3. Most rides served as short connections to public transit. Correct answer.
  4. Bike-share replaced all other forms of transportation.

Explanation

The two statistics together indicate that most trips were brief and linked to transit stations, supporting the conclusion that the program mainly provided short connections to transit. The conclusion must combine both details rather than rely on one.

Question 38Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The company's memo announces that remote work "has boosted productivity across the board." The only evidence cited is that the number of meetings held per week has risen since remote work began.' Which statement best describes the flaw in the memo's reasoning?

  1. It fails to define the term remote work.
  2. It uses too few employees in its sample.
  3. It relies on a measure that does not directly demonstrate productivity. Correct answer.
  4. It compares the company with other companies unfairly.

Explanation

The memo equates more meetings with higher productivity, but meeting counts measure activity rather than output. The reasoning is flawed because the cited evidence does not logically establish the claim being made.

Question 39Key Ideas and Details

A passage explains that a coastal town built a seawall after repeated flooding. Flooding in the town decreased for several years, but the passage adds that the town also began restoring nearby wetlands during the same period. Which statement best characterizes the passage's presentation of evidence?

  1. It proves that seawalls never prevent flooding.
  2. It shows that wetlands restoration caused the flooding.
  3. It presents two changes at once, so the seawall's effect cannot be isolated. Correct answer.
  4. It demonstrates that the town wasted money on the seawall.

Explanation

Because the seawall and wetland restoration happened together, any drop in flooding could be due to either one, so the passage cannot isolate the seawall's effect. Recognizing this is a matter of identifying confounding factors in the evidence.

Question 40Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The essay argues that standardized testing should be abolished. Its evidence consists of a single anecdote about one student who felt anxious before an exam.' Which statement best evaluates the essay's support?

  1. A single anecdote is too limited to support a broad policy claim. Correct answer.
  2. The anecdote is irrelevant because it concerns a student.
  3. The claim is well supported because anxiety is common.
  4. The essay would be stronger if it used more anecdotes.

Explanation

A broad policy recommendation requires evidence representative of the affected population, and one student's experience cannot establish a general conclusion. The evaluation turns on the mismatch between the scope of the claim and the narrowness of the evidence.

Question 41Key Ideas and Details

A passage states: 'The chef's cookbook includes no photographs. Its pages are filled instead with long descriptions of smell, texture, and sound in the kitchen.' Which idea does the passage most clearly convey about the cookbook?

  1. It relies on sensory language rather than images. Correct answer.
  2. It contains recipes that are difficult to follow.
  3. It is intended only for professional chefs.
  4. It was published without the chef's approval.

Explanation

The passage contrasts the absence of photographs with detailed descriptions of smell, texture, and sound, conveying that the book uses sensory language in place of images. The key idea comes from the stated contrast.

Question 42Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The park's new lighting was installed to make evening walks safer. Since installation, evening visits have increased by half, and the parks department reports fewer complaints about dark paths.' Which inference is best supported?

  1. The lighting appears to have encouraged evening use and addressed safety concerns. Correct answer.
  2. The lighting made daytime visits less common.
  3. The parks department plans to remove the lighting.
  4. Evening walkers prefer to walk in darkness.

Explanation

The passage links the lighting to two outcomes: more evening visits and fewer complaints about dark paths, which supports the inference that it encouraged use and eased safety concerns. The inference should reflect both reported results.

Question 43Key Ideas and Details

A passage describes a researcher who published findings that other labs could not reproduce. The researcher then released all raw data and step-by-step procedures, and several labs subsequently confirmed the results. Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. The researcher's original findings were deliberately falsified.
  2. Sharing data and methods allowed others to verify the findings. Correct answer.
  3. Other labs were unwilling to test the findings.
  4. Reproduction of results is unnecessary in science.

Explanation

The sequence shows that failed reproduction was followed by transparency, which then led to confirmation, so the main idea is that openness enabled verification. The passage describes a resolution, not misconduct.

Question 44Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The council member argues that the farmers market should move to the downtown plaza because "foot traffic downtown has never been higher." The market's current location, however, sits next to a large residential complex whose residents shop there weekly.' Which statement best evaluates the council member's argument?

  1. It considers only downtown foot traffic and ignores the market's current customers. Correct answer.
  2. It proves that the market cannot succeed downtown.
  3. It relies on residents' opinions rather than data.
  4. It is convincing because foot traffic is a reliable measure.

Explanation

The argument cites one benefit of the new location but overlooks the established customer base at the current one, so it is incomplete rather than wrong. A sound evaluation identifies what the reasoning leaves out.

Question 45Key Ideas and Details

A passage states: 'The documentary devotes equal time to the factory owners and the workers, letting each group describe the same negotiations in its own words.' Which idea is most clearly supported by the passage?

  1. The documentary was filmed entirely in the factory.
  2. The documentary presents multiple perspectives on a single event. Correct answer.
  3. The documentary avoids discussing the negotiations.
  4. The documentary favors the factory owners.

Explanation

Giving equal time to both owners and workers and letting each describe the same negotiations supports the idea that the film presents multiple perspectives. The support comes from the balance and shared subject matter described.

Question 46Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The city's compost program collected 500 tons of food scraps in its first year. Officials note that this represents less than five percent of the food waste the city generates annually.' Which statement best describes the significance of the second sentence?

  1. It qualifies the achievement by showing the program's limited reach so far. Correct answer.
  2. It explains how composting works.
  3. It shows the program has already solved the waste problem.
  4. It contradicts the claim that any scraps were collected.

Explanation

The second sentence places the 500-ton figure in context, showing that most food waste remains unaddressed, which qualifies the first sentence's achievement. Recognizing this function requires seeing how the two sentences relate.

Question 47Key Ideas and Details

A passage reports that a school changed its start time from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and that average attendance rose. The passage also notes that the school began offering free breakfast at the same time. Which statement best assesses what the passage can support?

  1. The passage shows attendance was unrelated to either change.
  2. The passage proves the breakfast program caused higher attendance.
  3. The passage cannot establish whether the later start or the breakfast program raised attendance. Correct answer.
  4. The passage proves the later start time caused higher attendance.

Explanation

Two changes were introduced together, so their separate effects cannot be distinguished from the reported data. The passage can describe an improvement but cannot attribute it to either change alone.

Question 48Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The critic writes that the film "fails because it refuses to explain its characters' motives." Yet the same review praises films that leave motives ambiguous and credits audiences with intelligence.' Which statement best describes the critic's reasoning?

  1. It applies a standard to this film that the critic rejects for other films. Correct answer.
  2. It praises the film for leaving motives ambiguous.
  3. It relies on box office figures to judge quality.
  4. It consistently values explicit explanations of motive.

Explanation

The critic faults one film for ambiguity while praising other films for the same quality, which makes the standard inconsistent. The passage's contrast between the criticism and the praise exposes this inconsistency.

Question 49Key Ideas and Details

A passage describes a survey in which readers were asked to rate a magazine's articles. The passage notes that the survey was mailed only to subscribers who had renewed for at least five years. Which statement best describes the limitation of the survey's findings?

  1. Readers were asked to rate articles they had not read.
  2. The magazine mailed too many surveys to subscribers.
  3. The survey was too short to gather useful ratings.
  4. The respondents represent long-term subscribers, so their ratings may not reflect other readers. Correct answer.

Explanation

Because only long-time renewers received the survey, their preferences may differ from those of newer or occasional readers, limiting how far the results generalize. The limitation follows from the selection of respondents, not from survey length or volume.

Question 50Key Ideas and Details

Read this passage: 'The historian notes that the factory's output doubled after new machinery arrived. She adds that the factory also hired twice as many workers that year and that the machines broke down frequently.' Which statement best describes the historian's use of evidence?

  1. She presents factors that complicate a simple explanation of the output increase. Correct answer.
  2. She concludes that the machinery alone doubled production.
  3. She shows that hiring more workers reduced output.
  4. She argues that the factory's output did not actually increase.

Explanation

By noting both the added workers and the frequent breakdowns, the historian introduces factors that complicate attributing the output increase to the machinery alone. The passage presents complicating evidence rather than a single-cause conclusion.