Reading Comprehension Flashcards
7 cards from real NBT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Reading Comprehension flashcards as text
A passage argues that social media has increased political polarization. The author's primary purpose in this passage is most likely to:
Answer: Persuade readers that social media harms political discourse.
When an author presents a position and supports it with evidence, the primary purpose is persuasion.
Identify the meaning of 'pragmatic' in: 'Rather than pursuing an ideal solution, the negotiators took a pragmatic approach and settled for what was achievable.'
Answer: Practical and focused on realistic outcomes
Pragmatic means dealing with things sensibly and practically, focusing on what can realistically be achieved.
A passage includes this sentence: 'Deforestation is driven by agriculture, logging, and urban expansion — yet forests absorb roughly 2.6 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually.' The dash is used here to:
Answer: Add a contrasting or supplementary fact to the main clause.
A dash can introduce additional information that elaborates on or contrasts with the preceding clause.
Which of the following best describes an 'inference' in reading comprehension?
Answer: A conclusion drawn from evidence not explicitly stated in the text.
An inference is a logical conclusion the reader reaches by reading between the lines, using clues not directly stated.
Read the following: 'The new policy was met with a lukewarm reception — polite applause, few questions, and employees who avoided eye contact.' What can be inferred about the employees' reaction?
Answer: They were largely indifferent or quietly disapproving.
Polite but minimal engagement and avoidance of eye contact suggest the employees were unenthusiastic or subtly resistant.
An author presents only evidence that supports electric vehicles while omitting studies showing limitations. This is an example of:
Answer: Selection bias or cherry-picking evidence
Presenting only evidence that supports one viewpoint while ignoring contrary evidence is called cherry-picking or selection bias.
A passage uses the phrase 'it stands to reason.' This phrase signals that the author is about to:
Answer: Present a logical conclusion based on prior evidence.
'It stands to reason' is a phrase that signals the author believes a logical conclusion follows from what has already been stated.