TSI Reading Overview

Television has been the primary source of information and entertainment for most Americans over the last 50 years. However, with Internet use on the rise year after year, some may wonder if surfing the net will soon surpass watching television as Americans’ primary leisure activity. Indeed, some recent surveys show that time spent on the Internet is now greater than time spent in front of the television. However, this statistic may not tell the whole story, as 59% of Americans say they multitask, using the Internet and watching TV simultaneously. The main idea of the passage is that television

• is only one of many information sources

• may have become less popular than the Internet

• is watched by more people now than ever before

• focuses more on entertainment than on news

The author of Passage 2 probably would respond to the last sentence of Passage 1 (“Parents . . . every day!”) by

• asserting that parents should help children find a balance of indoor and outdoor activities

• claiming that young children often know more about computers than their parents do

• pointing out that many children would rather use technology than play outside

• arguing that children should be spending more time using computers

The author of Passage 1 would most likely criticize the author of Passage 2 for

• overemphasizing the strength of the data about students’ technological literacy

• overlooking the drawbacks of increasing the time children spend using technology

• dismissing as unimportant the development that occurs during outdoor activities

• exaggerating the proportion of careers that require knowledge of science and math

What is the key to reading?

• Luck

• Consistent work

• Doing nothing

What is a main idea?

• What a text is mostly about.

• The lesson of the story.

• Where the story gives you basic information like where it is at.

• When the problems are getting solved and you reach a conclusion in the story.

What is the primary purpose of the TSI Reading section?

• To assess mathematical skills

• To evaluate reading comprehension and analysis

• To test scientific knowledge

• To measure writing ability

Which of the following is a key skill tested in the TSI Reading section?

• Solving algebraic equations

• Identifying main ideas and supporting details

• Conducting scientific experiments

• Writing essays

In the context of reading comprehension, what does 'inference' mean?

• A direct statement from the text

• A guess based on evidence and reasoning

• A summary of the text

• A question about the text

Which of the following best describes a 'main idea'?

• A minor detail in the text

• The central point or message of the text

• An unrelated topic

• A character's name

What is a 'theme' in literature?

• The time and place of the story

• The underlying message or lesson

• The main character

• The author's biography