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Reading Comprehension Sample Questions

Directions for questions 1–5 We can conclude from the information in this passage that
Read the statement or passage and then choose the best answer to the
question. Answer the question based on what is stated or implied in the A. women today are highly successful in winning equal rights
statement or passage. B. only pioneer women have been considered equal to men
C. historically, women have only achieved equality through force
1. Unemployment was the overriding fact of life when Franklin D. D. historically, the principle of equality alone has not been enough to
Roosevelt became president of the United States on March 4, 1933. At secure women equal rights
the time, the government did not systematically collect statistics of
joblessness; actually it did not start doing so until 1940. The Bureau of
Labor Statistics later estimated that 12,830,000 persons were out of work 3. All water molecules form six-sided structures as they freeze and become
in 1933, about one-fourth of a civilian labor force of more than 51 snow crystals. The shape of a snow crystal is determined by temperature,
million. Roosevelt signed the Federal Emergency Relief Act on May 12, vapor, and wind conditions in the upper atmosphere. A snow crystal is
1933. The president selected Harry L. Hopkins, who headed the New always symmetrical because these conditions affect all six of its sides
York relief program, to run FERA. A gifted administrator, Hopkins simultaneously.
quickly put the program into high gear. He gathered a small staff in
Washington and brought the state relief organizations into the FERA The purpose of the passage is to present
system. While the agency tried to provide all the necessities, food came A. a personal observation
first. City dwellers usually got an allowance for fuel, and rent for one
month was provided in case of eviction. B. a solution to a problem
C. factual information
This passage is primarily about D. opposing scientific theories
A. methods of estimating unemployment rates in the 1930s
B. the effect of unemployment on United States families 4. Many people have owned, or have heard of, traditional “piggy banks,”
coin banks shaped like pigs. A logical theory about how this tradition
C. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency started might be that because pigs often symbolize greed, the object is to
D. the creation of President Roosevelt’s FERA program “fatten” one’s piggy bank with as much money as possible.

2. With varying success, many women around the world today struggle for However, while this idea makes sense, it is not the correct origin of the
equal rights. Historically, women have achieved greater equality with term. The genesis of the piggy bank is the old English word “pygg,”
men during periods of social adversity. The following factors initiated which was a common kind of clay hundreds of years ago in England.
the greatest number of improvements for women: violent revolution, People used pots and jars made out of this red “pygg” clay for many
world war, and the rigors of pioneering in an undeveloped land. In all different purposes in their homes. Sometimes they kept their money in
three cases, the essential element that improved the status of women was one of the pots, and this was known as a pygg bank. Over the years,
a shortage of men, which required women to perform many of society’s because “pygg” and “pig” sounded the same, glaziers began making
vital tasks. novelty banks out of pottery in the shape of a pig as a kind of joke. These
banks were given as gifts and exported to countries where people spoke
other languages and where no one had ever heard of pygg clay. The
 tradition caught on all over the world, and today piggy banks come in all The subject combines the study of history and the social sciences and
colors and are made of all kinds of materials, including plastic. promotes skills in citizenship.

This passage is mainly about how What does the second sentence do?
A. It expands on the first sentence.
A. people in different countries save their money B. It makes a contrast.
B. people in England made pottery centuries ago C. It proposes a solution.
C. a common term originated in a surprising way D. It states an effect.
D. an unusual custom got started 8. Knowledge of another language fosters greater awareness of cultural
diversity among the peoples of the world.
5. The wheel is considered one of the most important mechanical
inventions of all time. Many technologies since the invention of the Individuals who have foreign language skills can appreciate more readily
wheel have been based on its principles, and since the industrial other peoples’ values and ways of life.
revolution, the wheel has been a basic element of nearly every machine
constructed by humankind. No one knows the exact time and place of the How are the two sentences related?
invention of the wheel, but its beginnings can be seen across many A. They contradict each other.
ancient civilizations. B. They present problems and solutions.
C. They establish a contrast.
The passage suggests that the wheel is an important invention because it D. They repeat the same idea.
A. is one of the world’s oldest inventions 9. While most people think of dogs as pets, some dogs are bred and trained
specifically for certain types of work.
B. forms the basis of so many later inventions
C. can be traced to many ancient cultures The bloodhound’s acute sense of smell and willing personality make it
D. is one the world’s most famous inventions ideal for tracking lost objects or people.
What does the second sentence do?
Directions for questions 6–10
For the questions that follow, two underlined sentences are followed by a A. It makes a contrast.
question or statement. Read the sentences, then choose the best answer to the B. It restates an idea found in the first.
question or the best completion of the statement. C. It states an effect.
D. It gives an example.
6. The Midwest is experiencing its worst drought in 15 years. 10. Paris, France, is a city that has long been known as a center of artistic
and cultural expression.
Corn and soybean prices are expected to be very high this year.
In the 1920s, Paris was home to many famous artists and writers from
What does the second sentence do?
around the world, such as Picasso and Hemingway.
A. It restates the idea found in the first.
B. It states an effect. What does the second sentence do?
C. It gives an example. A. It reinforces the first.
D. It analyzes the statement made in the first. B. It states an effect.
C. It draws a conclusion.
7. Social studies classes focus on the complexity of our social D. It provides a contrast.
environment.