OAR OAR Reading Comprehension: Inferences 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the passage: 'The diplomat arrived at the summit without an interpreter and spent much of the opening session staring at his phone under the table.' What can be inferred about the diplomat's engagement at the summit?
- The diplomat was fluent in all languages spoken at the summit.
- The diplomat was actively documenting key points for his home government.
- The diplomat was poorly prepared and disengaged from the proceedings. (Correct answer)
- The diplomat's government had withdrawn its support for the summit's agenda.
Correct answer: The diplomat was poorly prepared and disengaged from the proceedings.
Arriving without an interpreter and being distracted by a phone during an international summit suggests inadequate preparation and lack of focus.
Question 2: Read the passage: 'The athlete's coach said nothing after the race, simply handing her a towel and walking away. Later, a teammate overheard the coach on the phone saying, 'We need to go back to basics.'' What can be inferred about the athlete's performance?
- The athlete had performed exceptionally well and the coach was planning celebrations.
- The coach was dissatisfied and felt the athlete needed fundamental retraining. (Correct answer)
- The coach was distracted by other team business unrelated to the race.
- The athlete had performed adequately but could improve on advanced techniques.
Correct answer: The coach was dissatisfied and felt the athlete needed fundamental retraining.
Silence after the race combined with 'back to basics' strongly implies the coach believed the athlete's fundamental skills had broken down.
Question 3: Read the passage: 'After the neighborhood convenience store installed security cameras, incidents of shoplifting decreased by 60 percent over three months.' What is the most reasonable inference?
- The store hired additional security staff alongside the cameras.
- The cameras caught shoplifters, who were then prosecuted and jailed.
- The visible cameras deterred potential shoplifters from attempting theft. (Correct answer)
- The store reduced the quantity of high-theft items it stocked.
Correct answer: The visible cameras deterred potential shoplifters from attempting theft.
A sharp drop in shoplifting immediately after camera installation most directly implies that the cameras' presence discouraged people from stealing.
Question 4: Read the passage: 'The company announced a 'strategic restructuring,' which would eliminate two departments. The CEO emphasized that the remaining team was 'stronger and more agile than ever.' What can be inferred about the eliminated departments?
- Those departments had voluntarily merged with other teams.
- Employees in those departments will be promoted to new roles.
- Those departments were cut, likely meaning layoffs for their employees. (Correct answer)
- The departments were moved to a different office location.
Correct answer: Those departments were cut, likely meaning layoffs for their employees.
Eliminating departments in a corporate restructuring almost always means the workers in those departments lose their jobs.
Question 5: Read the passage: 'Whenever the wind shifted direction during the outdoor concert, audience members on the east side covered their noses.' What can be inferred about what was east of the concert venue?
- A popular food stall was located to the east of the audience.
- A source of unpleasant odor was situated to the east. (Correct answer)
- The eastern side of the venue had poor acoustics.
- The wind from the east carried cold air that chilled the audience.
Correct answer: A source of unpleasant odor was situated to the east.
People covering their noses when wind blows from a certain direction indicates an unpleasant smell originates from that direction.
Question 6: Read the passage: 'The town's only grocery store closed last year. A recent survey found that 40 percent of elderly residents reported skipping meals at least once a week.' What can be inferred about the relationship between these two facts?
- Elderly residents prefer home-cooked meals and always have.
- The store's closure made it significantly harder for elderly residents to access food. (Correct answer)
- The survey results reflect a long-standing trend unrelated to the store closure.
- Elderly residents are choosing to diet, which explains the skipped meals.
Correct answer: The store's closure made it significantly harder for elderly residents to access food.
The timing and location of both events strongly suggest that losing the only nearby grocery store created a food access problem for elderly residents.
Question 7: Read the passage: 'The scientist published her findings in a peer-reviewed journal, but included a section titled 'Limitations,' noting that her sample size was small and the study was conducted in a single region.' What does including a 'Limitations' section suggest about the scientist?
- She was uncertain whether her results were correct and expected them to be disproven.
- She was transparent about the boundaries of her conclusions and their generalizability. (Correct answer)
- She was required by the journal to identify weaknesses regardless of study quality.
- She planned to retract the study if criticized by other researchers.
Correct answer: She was transparent about the boundaries of her conclusions and their generalizability.
Voluntarily noting a small sample and single-region scope shows the scientist honestly communicated where her findings could and could not be applied.
OAR OAR Reading Comprehension: Inferences 5
Read the passage: 'The diplomat arrived at the summit without an interpreter and spent much of the opening session staring at his phone under the table.' What can be inferred about the diplomat's engagement at the summit?