Accuplacer College Placement Reading Comprehension 2

Question 1

A passage states: 'The committee's decision, though widely criticized, ultimately proved prescient.' What does 'prescient' most nearly mean?

Accepted Answer

Showing foresight

Answer

Deeply unpopular

Answer

Poorly reasoned

Answer

Hastily made

Question 2

An author writes mostly about the harmful effects of a new law, then briefly notes one benefit. What is the author's primary purpose?

Accepted Answer

To criticize the law

Answer

To praise the law

Answer

To define the law

Answer

To compare two laws

Question 3

Which sentence is the best topic sentence for a paragraph about reducing plastic waste?

Accepted Answer

Cutting plastic use starts with simple daily habits.

Answer

Plastic was invented in the early 1900s.

Answer

My neighbor recycles every week.

Answer

Glass is heavier than plastic.

Question 4

A passage describes a character clenching her fists and speaking in short, clipped sentences. What can the reader infer about her mood?

Accepted Answer

She is angry

Answer

She is sleepy

Answer

She is joyful

Answer

She is bored

Question 5

In the sentence 'The drought was so severe that even the hardiest crops withered,' the word 'hardiest' suggests the crops were normally:

Accepted Answer

Tough and resilient

Answer

Weak and fragile

Answer

Newly planted

Answer

Imported

Question 6

Two passages discuss the same event but draw opposite conclusions. This relationship is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Contrasting viewpoints

Answer

Cause and effect

Answer

Sequential steps

Answer

Repetition

Question 7

Which word best completes the sentence: 'Despite the ___ evidence, the jury reached a quick verdict'?

Accepted Answer

scant

Answer

abundant

Answer

overwhelming

Answer

clear