CHSPE Critical Reading 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage argues that teenagers who work part-time during school earn better grades because they learn time management. A reader who thinks critically would first ask:
- What kinds of jobs do teenagers work?
- Does working cause better grades, or do motivated students do both? (Correct answer)
- How old are the teenagers in the study?
- What state do the teenagers live in?
Correct answer: Does working cause better grades, or do motivated students do both?
Critical readers question whether correlation implies causation—motivated students may both work and earn good grades without one causing the other.
Question 2: The tone of a passage can best be described as the author's:
- Main argument or thesis
- Attitude toward the subject or audience (Correct answer)
- Summary of key facts
- Choice of topic
Correct answer: Attitude toward the subject or audience
Tone refers to the author's attitude or emotional stance toward the subject, revealed through word choice and style.
Question 3: Read: 'The mayor promised swift action, but three months later, nothing had changed.' The author's attitude toward the mayor is most likely:
- Admiring
- Skeptical or critical (Correct answer)
- Indifferent
- Enthusiastic
Correct answer: Skeptical or critical
By contrasting the mayor's promise of 'swift action' with the fact that 'nothing changed,' the author implies skepticism or criticism.
Question 4: Which text structure is used when a passage explains what caused wildfires and what resulted from them?
- Compare and contrast
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Problem and solution
- Chronological order
Correct answer: Cause and effect
A cause-and-effect structure explains why something happened (causes) and what happened as a result (effects).
Question 5: A student reads an article titled 'Why Homework Should Be Banned.' This title tells the reader the article will most likely:
- Present balanced research on homework benefits and drawbacks
- Argue one side of a debate about homework (Correct answer)
- Describe the history of homework in American schools
- Explain how to complete homework efficiently
Correct answer: Argue one side of a debate about homework
The word 'should' in the title signals a persuasive argument advocating a specific position—that homework should be eliminated.
Question 6: In context, the word 'paramount' in 'Student safety is paramount during a campus emergency' most nearly means:
- Optional
- Secondary
- Most important (Correct answer)
- Temporary
Correct answer: Most important
'Paramount' means of greatest importance or supreme priority, fitting the emergency context where safety comes first.
Question 7: An author includes a direct quote from a firefighter who survived a major blaze. What is the most likely reason for including this quote?
- To make the article longer
- To add credibility and a firsthand perspective (Correct answer)
- To replace the need for research
- To confuse the reader with too many viewpoints
Correct answer: To add credibility and a firsthand perspective
Firsthand quotes from people with direct experience add credibility and a human, authentic perspective to a written piece.
CHSPE Critical Reading 4
A passage argues that teenagers who work part-time during school earn better grades because they learn time management.
A reader who thinks critically would first ask: