Accuplacer College Placement Reading Comprehension 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage states: 'The committee's decision, though widely criticized, ultimately proved prescient.' What does 'prescient' most nearly mean?
- Showing foresight (Correct answer)
- Deeply unpopular
- Poorly reasoned
- Hastily made
Correct answer: Showing foresight
'Prescient' means having foresight or accurately predicting the future.
Question 2: An author writes mostly about the harmful effects of a new law, then briefly notes one benefit. What is the author's primary purpose?
- To criticize the law (Correct answer)
- To praise the law
- To define the law
- To compare two laws
Correct answer: To criticize the law
Emphasis on harmful effects shows the purpose is to criticize.
Question 3: Which sentence is the best topic sentence for a paragraph about reducing plastic waste?
- Cutting plastic use starts with simple daily habits. (Correct answer)
- Plastic was invented in the early 1900s.
- My neighbor recycles every week.
- Glass is heavier than plastic.
Correct answer: Cutting plastic use starts with simple daily habits.
A topic sentence states the paragraph's main idea broadly.
Question 4: A passage describes a character clenching her fists and speaking in short, clipped sentences. What can the reader infer about her mood?
- She is angry (Correct answer)
- She is sleepy
- She is joyful
- She is bored
Correct answer: She is angry
Clenched fists and clipped speech signal anger or tension.
Question 5: In the sentence 'The drought was so severe that even the hardiest crops withered,' the word 'hardiest' suggests the crops were normally:
- Tough and resilient (Correct answer)
- Weak and fragile
- Newly planted
- Imported
Correct answer: Tough and resilient
'Hardiest' means most able to survive harsh conditions.
Question 6: Two passages discuss the same event but draw opposite conclusions. This relationship is best described as:
- Contrasting viewpoints (Correct answer)
- Cause and effect
- Sequential steps
- Repetition
Correct answer: Contrasting viewpoints
Opposite conclusions on one topic show contrasting viewpoints.
Question 7: Which word best completes the sentence: 'Despite the ___ evidence, the jury reached a quick verdict'?
- scant (Correct answer)
- abundant
- overwhelming
- clear
Correct answer: scant
'Despite' signals contrast, so little evidence still led to a quick verdict.
Accuplacer College Placement Reading Comprehension 2
A passage states: 'The committee's decision, though widely criticized, ultimately proved prescient.' What does 'prescient' most nearly mean?