CHSPE Critical Reading 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage describes a character who 'clenched her fists and stared at the floor, refusing to speak.' What can the reader most reasonably infer about the character?
- She is happy and excited
- She is tired and wants to sleep
- She is angry or upset (Correct answer)
- She is confused about directions
Correct answer: She is angry or upset
Physical cues like clenched fists and avoiding eye contact are commonly associated with anger or emotional distress.
Question 2: An author writes a newspaper editorial arguing that school start times should be delayed. The PRIMARY purpose of this text is to:
- Entertain readers with a story about school
- Inform readers about the history of school schedules
- Persuade readers to support a policy change (Correct answer)
- Describe a typical school day
Correct answer: Persuade readers to support a policy change
An editorial arguing for a specific policy change is written primarily to persuade readers to adopt that viewpoint.
Question 3: In the sentence, 'The senator's laconic response frustrated reporters hoping for details,' the word 'laconic' most likely means:
- Detailed and thorough
- Angry and defensive
- Brief and using few words (Correct answer)
- Confusing and vague
Correct answer: Brief and using few words
Since reporters wanted 'details' but were frustrated, 'laconic' must mean the response was brief and lacking detail.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the difference between a fact and an opinion?
- Facts are always interesting; opinions are always boring
- Facts can be verified; opinions express personal judgments (Correct answer)
- Facts come from books; opinions come from people
- Facts are long; opinions are short
Correct answer: Facts can be verified; opinions express personal judgments
A fact is a verifiable statement that can be proven true or false, while an opinion reflects a personal belief or judgment.
Question 5: A passage begins with a detailed description of a crumbling, abandoned factory and then shifts to discuss unemployment in the region. What is the most likely purpose of the opening description?
- To confuse the reader about the topic
- To set a mood and provide context for the economic discussion (Correct answer)
- To argue that factories should be demolished
- To entertain readers with a ghost story
Correct answer: To set a mood and provide context for the economic discussion
Descriptive openings are often used to establish tone and context that makes the subsequent argument or information more impactful.
Question 6: Which sentence contains a logical fallacy known as a 'false dilemma'?
- Exercise improves cardiovascular health according to multiple studies.
- You either support this new school policy or you don't care about students. (Correct answer)
- Many students struggle with reading comprehension on standardized tests.
- The library closes at 9 PM on weekdays.
Correct answer: You either support this new school policy or you don't care about students.
A false dilemma presents only two options when more possibilities exist; one can have concerns about a policy without not caring about students.
Question 7: A poem uses the repeated line 'the rain keeps falling' at the end of every stanza. This repeated line is called a:
- Metaphor
- Refrain (Correct answer)
- Sonnet
- Stanza break
Correct answer: Refrain
A refrain is a line or phrase repeated at intervals throughout a poem, often at the end of each stanza.
CHSPE Critical Reading 3
A passage describes a character who 'clenched her fists and stared at the floor, refusing to speak.' What can the reader most reasonably infer about the character?