OAR OAR Reading Comprehension: Main Idea 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read: 'The human brain's prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and impulse control, is not fully developed until the mid-twenties. This biological reality helps explain why adolescents often make riskier choices than adults. Understanding brain development informs policies around juvenile justice and age restrictions.' The main idea is:
- Teenagers make bad decisions because they do not care about consequences.
- The delayed development of the prefrontal cortex has practical implications for how society treats young people. (Correct answer)
- All people under 25 lack the ability to make good decisions.
- Brain science should not influence legal policy.
Correct answer: The delayed development of the prefrontal cortex has practical implications for how society treats young people.
The passage links the neuroscience of brain development to its real-world policy implications, which is the central argument.
Question 2: When a passage opens with a question, the main idea is most likely:
- The question itself restated as a statement. (Correct answer)
- Unrelated to the opening question.
- The author's opinion on an entirely different topic.
- Always found in a footnote.
Correct answer: The question itself restated as a statement.
Authors often open with a question to frame the main idea, which the passage then answers or explores.
Question 3: Read: 'Ancient Roman engineers built roads so precisely that many routes still influence modern highway systems. Their aqueducts delivered fresh water across hundreds of miles using only gravity. These achievements demonstrate that sophisticated engineering existed long before modern technology.' What is the main idea?
- Roman aqueducts were more advanced than modern water systems.
- Modern highways are copies of Roman roads.
- Roman engineering accomplishments reveal that advanced technical skill predates modern technology. (Correct answer)
- Gravity is the most important force in engineering.
Correct answer: Roman engineering accomplishments reveal that advanced technical skill predates modern technology.
Both examples (roads and aqueducts) serve to illustrate the conclusion that sophisticated ancient engineering challenges assumptions about historical capability.
Question 4: A passage describes three different leadership styles — autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire — and their effects on team performance. What is the most likely main idea?
- Democratic leadership always produces the best results.
- Leadership style significantly influences how teams perform. (Correct answer)
- Laissez-faire leadership is ineffective in all situations.
- Team performance depends solely on individual motivation.
Correct answer: Leadership style significantly influences how teams perform.
A passage comparing multiple styles and their outcomes most likely argues that style matters for performance.
Question 5: Read: 'Many species of migratory birds navigate using Earth's magnetic field, an internal compass that guides them thousands of miles. Disruptions to this field, caused by human-made electromagnetic interference, may be disorientating birds and contributing to population declines.' The main idea is:
- Birds should not be allowed near power lines.
- Migratory birds use magnetic navigation, which human electromagnetic interference may be harming. (Correct answer)
- Earth's magnetic field is weakening due to climate change.
- Bird population declines are caused only by habitat loss.
Correct answer: Migratory birds use magnetic navigation, which human electromagnetic interference may be harming.
The passage links the birds' navigation mechanism to the threat posed by electromagnetic interference, forming the central point.
Question 6: Which title would BEST capture the main idea of a passage arguing that sleep deprivation impairs both physical recovery and cognitive performance in military personnel?
- How to Fall Asleep Quickly in the Field
- Sleep Deprivation: A Dual Threat to Military Readiness (Correct answer)
- The History of Sleep Research in the U.S. Army
- Why Some Soldiers Need Less Sleep Than Others
Correct answer: Sleep Deprivation: A Dual Threat to Military Readiness
The title that names sleep deprivation and its dual impact on physical and cognitive readiness best reflects the passage's central argument.
Question 7: Read: 'Antibiotic resistance is accelerating globally as bacteria evolve defenses against drugs. Overprescription in humans and overuse in agriculture are primary drivers. Without new antibiotics and stricter usage policies, common infections could become untreatable.' The main idea is:
- Agriculture should be banned from using antibiotics immediately.
- Antibiotic resistance, driven by overuse, poses a serious global health threat that requires urgent action. (Correct answer)
- Bacteria have always been resistant to antibiotics.
- New antibiotics are currently being developed and will solve the problem.
Correct answer: Antibiotic resistance, driven by overuse, poses a serious global health threat that requires urgent action.
The passage identifies the problem, its causes, and the stakes — all pointing to the urgent threat requiring action.
OAR OAR Reading Comprehension: Main Idea 4
Read: 'The human brain's prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and impulse control, is not fully developed until the mid-twenties.
This biological reality helps explain why adolescents often make riskier choices than adults.
Understanding brain development informs policies around juvenile justice and age restrictions.' The main idea is: