CHSPE CHSPE Reading Comprehension 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read: 'The old bridge groaned under the weight of the morning commuters.' What literary device is used in this sentence?
- Simile
- Hyperbole
- Personification (Correct answer)
- Alliteration
Correct answer: Personification
Giving the bridge a human action ('groaned') is personification — attributing human qualities to a non-human object.
Question 2: A passage has two paragraphs: one describing the advantages of electric cars and one describing their disadvantages. What is the overall organizational structure?
- Chronological order
- Compare and contrast / pros and cons (Correct answer)
- Problem and solution
- Cause and effect
Correct answer: Compare and contrast / pros and cons
Organizing a passage around advantages and disadvantages is a classic compare-and-contrast (pros and cons) structure.
Question 3: Which sentence contains a context clue that helps define the word 'meticulous'?
- She was meticulous in her approach to science.
- He finished the project in a meticulous way.
- The meticulous worker was praised by her boss.
- Her meticulous notes included every measurement, every date, and every step of the process. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Her meticulous notes included every measurement, every date, and every step of the process.
The last sentence explains what 'meticulous' looks like in practice — recording every detail — which directly hints at its meaning of being very thorough and precise.
Question 4: An author ends a persuasive essay with: 'The time to act is now — every day of delay costs us more than we can afford.' What is the function of this conclusion?
- To summarize the essay's main supporting points
- To introduce a new argument not mentioned earlier
- To create a call to action and reinforce urgency (Correct answer)
- To acknowledge the opposing viewpoint
Correct answer: To create a call to action and reinforce urgency
A closing statement urging immediate action is a classic call-to-action that reinforces the essay's central appeal and creates a sense of urgency.
Question 5: In a passage about a school fundraiser, the narrator says: 'We raised enough to replace all the broken instruments — and then some.' What does 'and then some' mean?
- And nothing more
- And a little extra beyond that (Correct answer)
- And some students helped too
- And some instruments were still broken
Correct answer: And a little extra beyond that
'And then some' is an idiom meaning more than what was mentioned — they raised more than enough.
Question 6: A reader is asked to summarize a passage. Which approach produces the BEST summary?
- Copy the first and last sentences of the passage word for word
- Include all supporting details, examples, and statistics from the passage
- Restate the main idea and key points in your own words, briefly (Correct answer)
- Write your personal opinion about whether the passage is accurate
Correct answer: Restate the main idea and key points in your own words, briefly
A strong summary captures the main idea and essential supporting points in the reader's own words without copying the text or adding personal opinions.
Question 7: Read: 'Although the report was 200 pages long, its core message could be stated in a single sentence.' What does this sentence imply about the report?
- The report was poorly written and contained errors
- The report contained a great deal of unnecessary content relative to its central point (Correct answer)
- The report was too short to be useful
- The report's core message was impossible to understand
Correct answer: The report contained a great deal of unnecessary content relative to its central point
The contrast between 200 pages and one sentence implies much of the report's content was padding or elaboration beyond what the core message required.
CHSPE CHSPE Reading Comprehension 5
Read: 'The old bridge groaned under the weight of the morning commuters.' What literary device is used in this sentence?