Reading Comprehension #1

(1) Despite the relative reluctance of Americans to adopt it, soccer is the most popular sport in the world and has been for several decades.  (2) Soccer, which is called "football" in most places, has few rules compared with such sports as baseball. (3) Also, in contrast to baseball and American football, soccer games have few pauses in the action.  (4) Soccer scores aren't as high as scores are in American sports, but many people consider that an exciting feature of the game, because the occasional goals are that much more thrilling.
Which of the following is true of the paragraph?

• The author likes soccer.
• The author is not an American.
• The author presents the information in an objective manner.
• The author is biased against American sports.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

(1) Despite the relative reluctance of Americans to adopt it, soccer is the most popular sport in the world and has been for several decades.  (2) Soccer, which is called "football" in most places, has few rules compared with such sports as baseball. (3) Also, in contrast to baseball and American football, soccer games have few pauses in the action.  (4) Soccer scores aren't as high as scores are in American sports, but many people consider that an exciting feature of the game, because the occasional goals are that much more thrilling.
Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

• Soccer is more popular in Europe than American football is.
• Soccer is a great sport, despite its unpopularity in America.
• Baseball and basketball will need overhauls if they are to compete on the world stage with soccer.
• Soccer is an all-around better sport than any other in the world.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

(1) College tuitions are soaring, leaving many parents wondering if they will be able to afford higher education for their children.  (2) Cutbacks in government aid combined with skyrocketing tuition are making it unfeasible even for families of moderate wealth to fully fund their children's educations.  (3) In America, people say that you can be anything you want to be.  (4) But getting an education is crucial if you hope to achieve the American dream.
With which of the following statements would the author of this passage most likely agree?

• The government should help students pay for college.
• The cost of a college education is unreasonable.
• Borrowing money for college may be the answer to rising education costs.
• An education is not necessary to succeed in America.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

(1) College tuitions are soaring, leaving many parents wondering if they will be able to afford higher education for their children.  (2) Cutbacks in government aid combined with skyrocketing tuition are making it unfeasible even for families of moderate wealth to fully fund their children's educations.  (3) In America, people say that you can be anything you want to be.  (4) But getting an education is crucial if you hope to achieve the American dream.
In sentence 2, the word "unfeasible" means

• possible
• unworkable
• indescribable
• indiscernible

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

(1) When television writers get stuck for ideas, they always seem to turn to the same old gimmicks.  (2) One such gimmick is to get the main characters stuck somewhere, perhaps in an elevator, on an island, or on a plane that is going down.  (3) The plot always unfolds in the same way:  the characters reveal all sorts of intimate information, only to be rescued before the show ends. (4) Perhaps the most overused gimmick is the introduction of a celebrity into the cast of characters as someone's relative or love interest.  (5) This move is a sure sign that the writers and producers have run out of fresh material.
Which of the following conclusions can be based on the passage?

• TV writers and producers enjoy using gimmicks.
• TV writers and producers all suffer from writer's block.
• TV writers and producers sometimes succeed in persuading celebrities to appear on shows.
• TV audiences cannot recognize a plot that is used in a multitude of settings and genres.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

(1) When television writers get stuck for ideas, they always seem to turn to the same old gimmicks.  (2) One such gimmick is to get the main characters stuck somewhere, perhaps in an elevator, on an island, or on a plane that is going down.  (3) The plot always unfolds in the same way:  the characters reveal all sorts of intimate information, only to be rescued before the show ends. (4) Perhaps the most overused gimmick is the introduction of a celebrity into the cast of characters as someone's relative or love interest.  (5) This move is a sure sign that the writers and producers have run out of fresh material.
Which of the following inferences can be made based on the passage?

• A small group of writers and producers write the material for most TV shows.
• Using formulas is not the way to create successful TV shows.
• Story-lines must always feature original, never-before-seen content if a show is to be successful.
• Certain scenarios and story-lines are used in many kinds of shows.
  

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.9-10.1

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

(1) The Barton County School District plant to launch a new program for evaluating its teachers.  (2) BCSD is hoping that its pilot program can serve as a prototype for other districts across the state and even across the country.  (3) The committee wants its evaluation program to measure a teacher's knowledge of his or her subject matter, effectiveness in the classroom, and demeanor in and out of the classroom.
Besides evaluating each teacher in the district, BCSD also hopes to do which of the following with its teacher evaluation program?

• offer the program as a model for other interested administrators.
• determine teacher merit pay
• determine student placement based on teacher competency
• place teachers in suitable schools

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

(1) The Barton County School District plant to launch a new program for evaluating its teachers.  (2) BCSD is hoping that its pilot program can serve as a prototype for other districts across the state and even across the country.  (3) The committee wants its evaluation program to measure a teacher's knowledge of his or her subject matter, effectiveness in the classroom, and demeanor in and out of the classroom.
Which of the following will not be measured by the BCSD teacher evaluation program?

• a teacher's manner in a classroom setting
• a teacher's efficacy with students in a learning environment
• a teacher's comprehension of his or her main subject
• a teacher's expertise in cross-curricular subjects

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2