From the first sentence to the very last, the author is clearly in favor of the idea that “each vote counts.” Choice (D) most clearly reflects this sentiment. You can also eliminate wrong answer choices (B) and (C) because they are never mentioned in the passage. And voting machines, (A), are mentioned in the passage, but only to support the conclusion that every vote counts.
From the information given, you should have seen that the governor was very determined to get things done her way. So her approach could hardly be described as business as usual, choice (A). Nowhere in the passage is her approach described as careless and sloppy, choice (C). And since the mayor insisted on doing things her way, her approach was not influenced by her critics, choice (D). Only (B) is addressed in the paragraph. Seeking to change the way politics are run indicates an idealistic approach to politics.
This Detail question asks you for a member of the first expedition to conquer Mount Everest. Researching the passage, you must be careful not to assume that the mountain is named for its conqueror. While Sir George Everest, (A), first documented and recorded the height of Everest in 1865, it was (C) Sir Edmund Hillary who, along with Tenzing Norgay, completed the first ascent to the peak in 1953. The question does not ask for the first woman, or the first American woman, to reach the summit, so (B) Junko Tabei and (D) Stacy Allison are out. The correct answer is (C).
The author feels strongly that meals in school cafeterias have become more and more similar to junk food. Choice (A) is not applicable, regardless of its validity, because it is not the central point of the passage. Choice (B) is nowhere indicated in the passage, and choice (C) is the opposite of the correct answer. Of the answer choices given, only choice (D), less nutritious, correctly answers the question.
This Detail question asks you to identify a specific step in a process, so your first task is to locate the step that discusses removing the corner block. Removing the corner block is mentioned in the fifth sentence. After using a ripping chisel to remove the block from the chair, the worker is free to glue the joints back together to tighten them, choice (C).
To correctly gauge the tone of a passage, you should pay attention not only to the details, but also to the language and description. In this passage, James is clearly waiting to go onstage. Words like pulse, murmur, and maybe invite the reader to feel excitement and nervousness as James does. Of the answer choices given, (D), ambivalence, is clearly wrong, as James definitely cares about what is going to happen. He seems wistful, but never sad, (A), or angry, (C). The only answer that successfully captures James’s mood is choice (B), anticipation.
Judging from the critical tone of the author and the subject matter at hand, one can safely assume that the author is interested in public safety. Clearly small print is not going to be favored by this author, so choice (C) is out. Choice (D) doesn’t make sense and choice (A) is not something thought of as good for public safety. Choice (B), allergy information prominently listed on food labels, fits the author’s passion for consumer labels.
According to the details of the passage, one possible side effect from prescription drug usage is internal bleeding, answer choice (C). Drinking alcohol, (A), can exacerbate side effects, but it is not a side effect itself. Dysfunction, (B), and aggression, (D), are discussed as conditions treated by drugs, not as side effects of drug use.
From the details of the passage, it is clear that the author sees the character of the Hulk as a symbol. The passage states that the Hulk is a reflection of the two sides of each of us, which matches choice (A) a reflection of humanity. The passage states that the Hulk varies between an animal mentality, (B), and a mild-mannered person, (C), but it does not claim that he is one over the other. While the passage mentions “atomic postwar paranoia,” it does not suggest that the Hulk is used as a protest of any type, as in choice (D).
According to the passage, the onetime star athlete is now a local bricklayer. There is nothing in the passage to indicate that the person in question was ever a depressed loner (A), shy scientist (B), or bitter malcontent (D), but it only makes sense that he was once a gifted youngster (C). The term “prodigy” refers to a person with natural ability, often at a young age.
Remember to look to contrast keywords to help determine an author’s main point. Here, the passage makes a distinction between the work of typical directors and that of Hitchcock: Hitchcock, unlike the others, dared to make films that were unconventional, which is answer choice (C). While answer choices (A) and (B) are supported by the passage, they are too narrow to encompass the main point. Answer choice (D) is out of scope and is not stated or implied in the passage.
While it may be true that the bassoon is larger than the oboe, that claim is not supported by information in the passage, so (A) is out. The passage does state that the bassoon produces a deep sound, but claiming that it is the deepest-sounding wood instrument is too extreme, so (B) is out. Nothing in the passage supports the claim that the bassoon is the only instrument that utilizes a bocal, which means (C) is incorrect. The passage does state that a bassoon’s pitch can be altered by adjusting the bocal, so (D) is correct.
In this Detail question that asks about a process, refer back to the passage to find the correct answer. You will find the information in the second, third, and fourth sentences. The second sentence states that an investor sells shares she does not currently own, while the third and fourth sentences indicate that she then purchases those shares at a later date. That sequence is described in answer choice (B). Both (A) and (C) are incorrect because a short seller does not first buy shares of stock. (D) is out because although a short seller does first sell shares of stock, nothing in the passage indicates that that money is then used to purchase stock in another company.
Always make a prediction in Vocabulary-in-Context questions. The tone of this passage is one of peacefulness and calm. Therefore, you could infer that Mark’s quiet, relaxing walk in the woods is a break, or a period of relief, from the clamor and chaos of the city. While (B) opposite might sound appealing, since the passage contrasts the forest with the city, opposite doesn’t make sense if inserted into the sentence. Mark might be in a (C) valley, but that also doesn’t make sense if inserted into the sentence. Finally, (D) hope doesn’t match the idea that Mark has simply found a quiet place away from the city.
This statement is a specific detail taken from the second sentence of the passage, “the Main Street bus line was reduced from one bus every 15 minutes to one bus an hour.” There is no evidence that the Main Street bus line has ever been completely shut down, (D). The author does mention not being given any notification, but he does not state choice (A), that the city needs to notify customers. Choice (B) might be an idea the author would agree with, but it is not mentioned in the passage.
The author introduces the European hedgehog as “a species” of hedgehog in the first sentence, comparing it to other species. The passage then provides information about the European hedgehog’s eating and hibernation habits, as well as the males’ aggressive behavior. Choice (C) captures the paragraph’s focus and is the correct answer to this Global question. Choices (A), (B), and (D) all mention facts given in the passage but miss the big picture by narrowly focusing on only one idea.
This is a Global question that asks for the author’s purpose in writing the passage. The author signals the issue in the second sentence: “Historians, however, are equally fascinated by stories of his invention of two weapons of war.” The rest of the passage describes these two other inventions that are, by contrast, not as well known as the discovery in the first sentence, and choice (A) reflects this main idea. Choices (B) and (C) both describe points of view (“condemning” and “arguing”) that are not consistent with the neutral tone of the passage. Choice (D), while neutral in tone, focuses on only one idea in the passage, making it too narrow for this Global question.
The question asks for an inference that can be drawn from the passage but provides no clues about the nature of the inference. Each answer choice must be compared with the information given to identify the one choice that must be true based on the passage. The correct answer is supported by the fifth sentence, “One lasting result was an increase in pay for doctors, encouraging many to enter the profession.” If many people were encouraged to become doctors because of higher pay, we can infer that lower pay before World War I was a deterrent to entering the profession. The word “lasting” implies that higher pay is still motivating more people to become doctors today. Choice (A) is extreme; even though the flu brought about advances, you cannot infer that advances would not have happened anyway. Choice (B) is unsupported by any facts presented. Choice (D) distorts the facts given. Doctors were encouraged by higher pay, not drafted. Also, there is no evidence that medical care was overwhelmed by the unprecedented numbers of patients. In fact, the patients caused a “boom” in the field.
This Vocabulary-in-Context question asks about the author’s use of the word unprecedented. The author uses the word to describe the increase in the number of patients, which had a lasting impact on the medical profession. To have such a significant effect, the number of patients must have been unusual, or extraordinary. Choice (B), tragic, might be tempting because of the number of people who died. But this meaning does not fit the point of the sentence. Choice (C) can be eliminated because the text does not suggest that the number of patients was perplexing, or puzzling. Choice (D), advantageous, would suggest that the author thinks the number of patients was beneficial, which is not the author’s point at all. The change in the medical profession may or may not have been advantageous; the author gives no opinion.
This Global question asks for the author’s main idea. The word “Yet” in the second sentence signals the author’s key point: authorities were unable to establish the cause of the fire. The final sentence reinforces this point. The rest of the text discusses the investigation of the fire and speculation about its causes. Thus, choice (D) is correct. Choice (A) is never stated or implied in the passage. Choice (B) contradicts the quote from the report, which states that whether the cause was accidental or intentional is unknown. Choice (C) is a distortion; “Peg Leg” Sullivan was considered as a suspect, but no likelihood of his guilt is proposed.
The correct answer to this Inference question will reflect an opinion given by the author in the text. The first sentence points out a perceived problem with the data supporting one of Freud’s theories. The author then states an opinion in the second sentence that this weakness in the data is not enough to dismiss Freud’s ideas. The rest of the paragraph supports this claim, ending with the opinion that Freud’s contributions to the field of psychology still stand up. Choice (B) sums up the author’s opinion. Choice (A) brings up an idea presented, but the contrast word “While” in the passage indicates that this is not the author’s opinion. Choice (C) brings up the problem with Freud’s evidence mentioned in the first sentence. This, however, is the point that the author dismisses in the second sentence. Choice (D) distorts the author’s defense of Freud; the word “confirmed” is extreme and does not match the author’s concession that some of Freud’s conclusions have been questioned.
This Detail question asks about something specifically mentioned in the passage. Axions are mentioned in the fourth sentence, which begins “There are a wide variety of explanations for why this might be . . . ” to introduce one proposed explanation for the unexpected scarcity of lithium in the universe. Choices (A) and (C) both refer to the creation of various elements, and the author does not mention axions in relation to how the elements came into being. Choice (D) distorts the idea of axions by joining it with another explanation, set apart in the next sentence by the words “Others believe.”
So, how did you do? What was challenging about these problems? Did you notice that you were performing better on some question types than others?
Going back over these problems may be helpful. As you review your performance, ask yourself a few questions:
In future Paragraph Comprehension questions, apply what you’ve learned in this chapter. Approach each question with Kaplan’s 4-step method, and you’ll see your performance in this section continue to improve.