OAR OAR Reading Comprehension 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read: 'Sailors in the 18th century used chronometers to determine longitude at sea. Before accurate timekeeping, longitude could not be reliably calculated, and ships frequently ran aground.' What problem did chronometers solve?
- Inability to measure latitude
- Inability to reliably calculate longitude (Correct answer)
- Lack of star charts for navigation
- Poor communication between vessels
Correct answer: Inability to reliably calculate longitude
The passage states that accurate timekeeping via chronometers enabled reliable longitude calculation, solving a deadly navigation problem.
Question 2: A passage reads: 'The ensign's proposal was audacious but logistically untenable given the available resources.' The word 'untenable' most nearly means:
- Innovative and creative
- Unable to be carried out or defended (Correct answer)
- Politically sensitive
- Widely supported by leadership
Correct answer: Unable to be carried out or defended
'Untenable' means not able to be maintained or defended; the context shows the plan cannot work with available resources.
Question 3: Read: 'A carrier strike group typically includes a carrier, cruisers for air defense, destroyers for anti-submarine warfare, and submarines for stealth operations. Each component fulfills a distinct defensive role.' Which best describes the group's structure?
- Multiple ships with identical functions for redundancy
- Specialized vessels each assigned a different defensive role (Correct answer)
- A single flagship supported by supply ships
- Destroyers leading with carriers in reserve
Correct answer: Specialized vessels each assigned a different defensive role
The passage describes each vessel type as fulfilling a 'distinct defensive role,' emphasizing specialization within the group.
Question 4: A passage states: 'Coral reefs, though covering less than one percent of the ocean floor, support approximately 25 percent of all marine species.' What can be inferred from this?
- Most marine species live in open water
- Coral reefs are disproportionately rich in biodiversity (Correct answer)
- Ocean floors are mostly uninhabited
- Marine species avoid deep water
Correct answer: Coral reefs are disproportionately rich in biodiversity
A tiny area supporting a quarter of all marine species demonstrates that coral reefs have disproportionately high biodiversity.
Question 5: Read: 'The petty officer spoke with unimpeachable authority on the subject, having served in that capacity for over two decades.' The word 'unimpeachable' most nearly means:
- Questionable and disputed
- Beyond reproach or challenge (Correct answer)
- Informal and casual
- Derived from textbooks
Correct answer: Beyond reproach or challenge
'Unimpeachable' means not able to be doubted or questioned; the officer's long experience reinforces this authority.
Question 6: Read: 'Search and rescue operations prioritize speed over precision in the initial phase, then shift to systematic grid searches once the general area is identified.' What changes between the two phases?
- The number of rescue personnel deployed
- The approach shifts from rapid response to methodical searching (Correct answer)
- Helicopters replace ships in the second phase
- Communication protocols become less formal
Correct answer: The approach shifts from rapid response to methodical searching
The passage contrasts the initial speed-focused phase with the later systematic grid-search phase, showing a shift in methodology.
Question 7: A passage reads: 'The admiral's memoirs, though written decades after the war, provide an invaluable firsthand account of command decisions made under extreme pressure.' Which is a limitation of this source?
- The author lacked direct involvement in the events
- Memory may be imperfect after decades (Correct answer)
- The account covers too short a period
- Naval history is an unreliable field
Correct answer: Memory may be imperfect after decades
Memoirs written long after the events occurred may suffer from imperfect or selective memory, which is a recognized limitation.
OAR OAR Reading Comprehension 3
Read: 'Sailors in the 18th century used chronometers to determine longitude at sea.
Before accurate timekeeping, longitude could not be reliably calculated, and ships frequently ran aground.' What problem did chronometers solve?