ACCUPLACER

READING
COMPREHENSION
STUDY GUIDE
Sample Q&A to help you pass the test
BY: LUIS MONTEMAYOR

1. In a world bound to the wheel of change, the humanities stress in the persistence of an unchanging issues. They do
not offer the prospect of progress in knowledge as the sciences do, nor do they even offer, as do the social sciences,
the promise of such progress. They raise questions about meaning, purpose, and values that hurried world, enamored
of technique, finds uncomfortable…
The central idea of the passage is that humanities
a. are move important that sciences
b. have been irrelevant by human progress
c. deal with important, eternal issues
d. can be counted on to slow down rate of progress
2. Sidney Poitier was neat and cleans in the movie.
In movies. villains always need a shave.
What does the second sentence do?
a. It follows logically from the first
b. It proves the first to be false
c. It implies that Poitier was not villains in the movie
d. It shows that the way an actor looks in a movie is of no significance
3. The American dream endures: Americans continue to think of their country as a land where all things are possible. In
fact, however, the reality has never matched the fantasy. The very rich, regardless of century, can and do live out the
dream, thereby setting the pace and perpetuating the myth. Yet the poor, whether or not they are envious or
resentful of their economic betters, generally do not reject the dream
Which of the following best describes the view of the American dream expressed in the passage?
a. The good life is available to everyone Who works for it in America
b. Eventually, everyone will live like rich.
c. The dream helps the poor to survive
d. Only rich can fulfill the dream
4. Too many companies pay scant attention to how their corporate symbol is perceived in the marketplace. They worry
even less about the critical matter of graphic design, which encompasses layout, product packing, and the color
scheme of letterheads, brochures, and business cards. Instead, they relegate corporate design to the same category
as interior decorating- an unnecessary expenditure until profits are so substantial that there is money to lavish on
the cultivation of good appearances. Too few executives seriously connect graphic design with marketing and
increase in profits.
It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes that…
a. Graphic design can bear directly on a company's profits
b. Worrying about the color scheme of brochures and letterhead is a waste of time and money
c. Companies should place more emphasis on interiors design
d. It is time that companies stop cultivating merely good appearances
5. I remember tonight for beautiful things: the Cathedral at Cologne, a forest in stone, set in light and shading shadow,
echoing with sunlight and solemn song; a village of the Vets in West Africa , a little thing of mauve and purple, quiet,
lying content and shining in the sun; a room where on a throne rests, in old and yellowing marble, the broken curves
of the Venus of Milo, a single phrase of music in the South- utter melody, haunting and appealing, suddenly arising
out of night and eternity, beneath the moon
Point of view in the passage is primarily that of
a. Logical observer
b. An appreciative viewer
c. an opinionated critic
d. A believer in nature's beauty
6. The form of many science fictions films is a predictable as the form of a western and is made up of elements which,
to a practiced eye, are as classic as the saloon brawl, the school teacher from the East, and the gun duel on the
deserted main street.
One model scenario proceeds through five phases: invasion of a "thing confirmation of the invasion by witnesses to
a great act of destruction, conferences between scientists and the military; further acts of destruction, final defeat
of the invaders.
The passage suggests that science fiction films are…
a. Unique forms on entertainment
b. As exiting as classic westerns
c. Much like films about the military
d. Not very different from Westerns
7. Although the Pokot of Kenya has withstood acculturation, their indifference to change has recently been shaken by
ambitious development plans. But to assume that Pokot life could or should remain unchanged is unrealistic. I only
hope that modernization will be guided by a sincere awareness of Pokot beliefs and values
Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage…?
a. The Pokot people should welcome modernization
b. The lives of the Pokot people have been guided by their own beliefs and values
c. The introduction of the Pokot to modern society should be careful and sensitive
d. The Pokot people are capable of great endurance
8. Because of the recent ruling, television stations- at least in theory- are now free to program laundry detergent
commercial all day long with maybe a few minutes of an old movie thrown if for kicks
The tone of the passage can be best described as
a. Whimsical
b. Flippant
c. Sincere
d. Somber
9. Nothing seems to work better in England that theater, and it words to perfection. Reasons are not hard to find, a
sense of community involving both actor and audience, and a rich, self-renewing tradition stretching back to
Shakespeare.
Company loyalty rather than cutthroat competition is intelligently underwritten by state subsidy. The theaters must
fill high percentage of seats to justify their government grants. Their programs must be serious, but not so self-
indulgent as to be out to the grasp of the audience. The result is a standard of performance consistently as high as
any in Western world.
The author's attitude towards English theater is best described as…
a. Admiring
b. Indifferent
c. Amused
d. Scornful
10. A personal computer is a small computer based on a micro-processor; it is a microcomputer. Not all microcomputers,
however, are person computers. A microcomputer can be dedicated to a single task such as controlling a machine
tool or a mattering injection of fuel into an automobile engine; it can be a word processor, a video game, or a "poker
computer" that is not quite a computer. A personal computer is something different: a stand-alone computer that
puts a wide array of capabilities at the disposal of an individual.
The passage states that category of microcomputers…
a. Included, but is not limited to, personal computers
b. is essential to most aspects of human life today
c. Possessed, or at least appears to possess, unlimited potential
d. is difficult to define with any degree with any degree of precision
11. The behavior of person whose conducts differ from that of others- either by failing below group standard or by
surpassing them- constitutes a mystery and a threat. The notions of demonic possession and madness sometimes
arise from a primitive theory for explaining such occurrence and indication appropriate methods for coping with them
The passage implies that people in general are threatened by behavior that is…
a. primitive
b. Mysterious
c. possessive
d. Atypical
12. Characters in fantasies written for children differ significantly from one historical period to another. Each fantasy in
some way hold up a mirror, to the culture in which is produced. When examine literary fantasy, we look upon a
reflection of the social pressures of the period, problems of sex role and personal identity, and changing role of the
artist what all these changing pattern mean is the subject of an interesting sociological study.
Which of the following statement would most clearly be supported by the passage?
a. Twentieth - century artists are free-spirited therefore are not likely to write fantasies
b. History is taught best through the use of fantasies
c. Nineteenth-century fantasies are likely to have in common features not found in twentieth century fantasies
d. A magical character reveals a writer's longing power
13. Children often have difficulty comprehending abstract relationships.
Learning addition and subtraction is made much easier for them if they are provided with small beads.
What does the second sentence do…
a. It contradicts the first
b. It analyzed the first
c. It restated the idea found in the first
d. It illustrated the pointing made in the first
14. Sesame Street is the most thoroughly researched television program in history. It was studied before it went on the
air and has been analyzed since. Its success in achieving its basic goal, improving the reading, arithmetic, and other
basic skills go young children, has been well documented. There is also some evident that children imitate the human
behavior they observe on the program. These harmless, offer amusing imitative acts may justify the current concern
about effects on children televised violence.
Sesame Street aims primarily at improving…
a. Children's social behavior
b. Attitudes towards education
c. Basic skills
d. The quality of human behavior
15. American rock music is popular with young people all over the world.
Tastes among the young are remarkably through the world.
These sentences go together because...
a. The second sentence precedes the fist one from the standpoint of time
b. The first sentences give an example of what is talked about the second
c. They are roughly the same length
d. The first sentence states a cause and the second its effect
16. The dividing between the blues and some kinds of spiritual cannot always be sharply dawn.
Many spiritual convert to listeners the same feeling of hopelessness and despair as do the blues.
a. They contradict each other
b. They present a problem and a solution
c. They repeat the same idea
d. They establish contrast
17. For marathoners, cool weather is a blessing. The most age comfortable marathon I ever ran was held under slightly
below-freezing condition. I loved every steps, suffered not at all, and had a weight loss from perspiration too little to
measure
One can infer from the passage that…
a. Most runners agree that marathons should be run only in a cool weather
b. A preference for running in cool weather is largely a matter of taste
c. There is no way to measure a runner' respiration loss during the race
d. Marathons during a race in hot weather are unpalatable.
18. Yosemite Park was taken over by the Federal government under the National Park Service in 1869. For several years,
however, it continued to be exploited by private mining a livestock interest. In addition, unrestricted hunting caused
disappearance of the grizzly bear and the bighorn sheep by as the as 1920. Lacking federal funds, the Park Service
was powerless to prevent such exploitation.
The use of terms "exploited" and "exploitation" suggests that the author feels that private business interests and
hunters used the Park…
a. Solely for their own purposes
b. With conservation in mind
c. In spite of Park Service restriction
d. In the public interest
19. A blanket of thick fog covered the area
Visibility there was almost zero
How are the two sentences related?
a. The two sentences establish a comparison
b. The second sentence contradicts the first
c. The first sentence explains the meaning the visibility
d. The second sentence indicates a direct result of the first.
20. In the 1870's fire fighters had ninety-seven-foot ladders. Now in the 1990's they have one-hundred-foot ladders.
That's progress for you!
The tone of the passage can best describe as
a. Excessively sentimental
b. Deeply melancholic
c. Mildly sarcastic
d. Generally unconcerned
21. Writer from the Spanish-speaking world have been receiving increasing international acclaim.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez was awarded the 1982 Noble Prozer for literature.
What does the second sentence do?
a. It provides an illustration
b. It offers a comparison
c. It restricts the scope of the first
d. It challenges the claim of the first
22. The American dream endures: Americans continue to think of their country as a land where all things are possible. In
fact, however, the reality has never matched the fantasy. The very rich, regardless of century, can and do live out the
dream, thereby setting the pace and perpetuating the myth. Yet the poor, whether or not they are envious or
resentful of their economic betters, generally do not reject the dream.
According to the passage, how to do most of the poor react to the life-style on the…
a. They bitterly resent the difference between the poor and the rich
b. They see it has a fulfillment of a dream
c. The know it's in their grasp
d. They know reward is unreal
23. As energy cost rise and resource wane, people look the sun solar energy almost certainly will be a main source for
heating building someday. Special roof panels that take in the heat have already been developed and are now in use.
In the average home, however, about one hundred tons of rock several thousand gallons of water needed to stores
enough heat for release during dark hours. Recently an inventor has created heat storage and transfer device which
can release heat as needed. Its small size makes it a mounts of eutectic salt, which can store a large volume of heat
and a special technique for releasing that heat as it is needed
The passage suggest that it has been difficult to develop not only a compact storage system but also a method
for
a. Letting the heat into the building
b. Making use of the stored heat at the right times
c. Converting old heating systems to solar heating systems
d. Keeping a home cool on sunny days
24. For years, the government of Brazil believes that the soil inland along the Amazon River would be rich and fertile and
would provide a paradise for povertystricken peasants living near the coast. Government official predicted that the
construction of the Tran-Amazon Highway would induce peasants by the millions to flock to the rain forest, settle a
new frontier, and begin a new life. The plan did not work, however. Discourage by thick forests and by soil in which
was actually difficult to grow crops, many of the pioneer returned to their traditional homes in the northeast part of
the country.
The passage suggest that the peasant probably moved inland because
a. The government agreed to give them free land and equipment
b. The weather was expected to be superior in the rain forest
c. They were looking for a place where there were no government officials
d. They thought conditions would be better inland
25. Wary of all trapping of royalty, founders of Unites States designed a republic that was mostly word and little play.
But the presidential inauguration Americans citizens get a heaping portion ritual and spectacle
What does the second sentence do?
a. It denies the truth the first sentence
b. It explains what is meant by the first sentence
c. It gives an exception to the statement in the first sentence
d. It adds further details to the description in the first sentence
26. Saginaw, Des Moirés, Greenwich Cairo-towns in the Unites States have names that reflect the heritages that made
them, Its I not hard to guess who settled Holland, Michigan and Swedesboro, New Jersey, or that American Indians
influence the names of Tallahassee and Omaha. Nor is it difficult to understands why a town is called Rome or Athens,
or even Grace or Santa Clara
Which of the following probably received its name in the same way as did towns in the passage?
a. Silver Spring
b. Washington
c. Milltown
d. New London
27. The Australian koala lives only where it can find the eucalyptus leaves which exclusively make up its diet.
An animal with a highly specialized diet can live only in an environment where the food its eats grows.
These sentences go together because…
a. Second sentence precedes the first one from the standpoint of time
b. First sentence gives an example of what is talked about the second
c. Second sentence contradicts the information given the first
d. First sentence states a cause and the second the effect
28. Sequential planting involves making several plantings of the same vegetable spaced two or three weeks apart. Thus,
the harvest is spread over a period of weeks as opposed to an overabundance followed by a death, the usual result
of planting a crop all at one time.
According to the passage, what is the advantage of sequential planting?
a. Each plant has maximum space in which to grow
b. Each crop produces a maximum number of vegetables
c. The whole crop can be harvested within three weeks
d. Yields from crops are evenly distributed over a period of time
29. Sesame Street is the most thoroughly researched television program in history. It was studied before it went on the
air and has been analyzed since. Its success in achieving its basic goal, improving the reading, arithmetic, and other
basic skills go young children, has been well documented. There is also some evident that children imitate the human
behavior they observe on the program. These harmless, offer amusing imitative acts may justify the current concern
about effects on children televised violence
The purpose of the passage is to
a. Report on research that has been done
b. Explode a myth about television
c. Convince people to watch “Sesame Street”
d. Offer a solution to a problem posed
30. Builders aim above all to construct houses in the least amount of time possible.
The first priority of home builders is quality construction
How are the two sentences?
a. The second sentence provides a contrast with the idea stated in the first
b. The first sentence gives an example of what is stated in the second
c. The second present a solution to the problem stated in the first
d. The first sentence states a cause and the second the effect
31. Writing is the product of our adaptable many-purpose hands. With no increase a genetic inborn capacity since the
last ice advanced, modern people carry minds the intellectual thumps of all our predecessors who were able to
inscribe their thoughts for posterity through writing and later printing.
 The author views the efforts of people who lived before our time as
a. Naive
b. Hypothetical
c. All-encompassing
d. Praiseworthy
32. In the middles of the sixteenth century, Antwerp was a crowded, lively city; some hundred thousand people lived
there. Disease plague and fire took their regular toll, yet boom conditions prevailed. New houses shops, and guildhalls
were constructed, and in 1542 the city walls were expanded at great cost.
The main point of the passage is that
a. Antwerp had problems but was a thriving and prosperous city
b. The people of Antwerp spent a great deal of money to extend the city walls
c. Antwerp was too crowded and this created problems for its people
d. Antwerp is a very old city
33. The exquisite accuracy of laser is being increasingly harnessed by medicine. Laser lends themselves to medical
applications because they can produce immensely compact and energy-packed beams of coherent light.
Compactness confers accuracy and energy confers the power to cut through tissue like a scalpel. A laser beam can
be focused on an area as tiny as a human cell and vaporize its large without damaging surrounding tissue. But laser
is an expensive option, typically costing in excess of $ 5,000. Still, in cases where other therapies are too imprecise, a
laser is worth the expense.
These passage suggest that the major disadvantage of laser is they’re
a. Extremely high cost
b. Unpredictable energy levels
c. Unproven reputation
d. Highly specialized use
34. Most people collect antiques for sentimental reason
Some people collect them strictly for profit
The relationship between the two sentences is best describes as
a. Cause and effect
b. Contrast
c. Repetition
d. Statement and example
35. Japanese horticulturist of the last century develops each native plant into a great array of variants. However, the
traditional familiar nursery is now being displaced by large companies selling packaged merchandise, and the result
is a tragic loss of human skills and plant resources.
It can be inferred from the passage that the author believe that the change in Japanese horticulture is
a. Inevitable
b. Unfortunate
c. Progressive
d. Surprising
36. Experienced Superhighway drivers know the importance of staying out of want some people call wolf packs- several
fast moving vehicles bunched together. Wolf packing can be the cause of high-speed fatalities
The author implies that experienced drivers avoid wolf-packing primarily because
a. They don't like to drive fast
b. It consist of a number of vehicles bunched together
c. They like to the ahead of the bunched
d. It can be the cause of fatal accidents
37. Some young teachers are poorly prepared for their profession
Many educators propose a more rigorous curriculum for prospective teachers
 How are the two sentences related?
a. They contradict each other
b. The second gives an example of what is the stated in the first
c. The second suggests a solution to the problem stated in the first
d. They stated the same idea in different ways
38. Business executives increasing are giving to early priority retirement. Middle age managers are retiring as the weary
of "rat-race" or see chances of further advancement dwindling. An official of a utility that firm more than employs
33,000 persons say "We can count on the finger of two hands of number manager we have who are over sixty years
of age" Forty-seven percent of retired business executives who were recently surveyed had retire before age sixty-
five. Most stated that they saw retirement as a springboard to new and more interesting work, and merry mentioned
consulting, gardening and directing sport leagues as areas of particular interest.
According the passage why did many of the business executives surveyed retire before age sixty-five?
a. They were eager to spent more time at home
b. They wanted more interesting and rewarding work
c. They were physically tired and wanted more time to rest
d. They considered business stressful and unhealthy
39. In 1869 there were several dozen automobiles in all Unites States; however, by the turn of the century, there were
thousands, very few highways, and lots of jokes.
The sentence introduces the idea that, in general, The Unites States in early 1900's was
a. Not well prepared to accept the rapid emergent of automobiles
b. A world leader in the manufacture of automobiles
c. Reluctant to find humor in the way critics describe the rapid increase of automobiles
d. Facing organized public opposition to the development of the automobile industry
40. Obesity is the result of a positive energy balance, that is, an excess of calories consumed over calories expended- but
attention has been focused almost exclusively on the caloric consumption part of the formula. Exercise is a factor
that is frequently overlooked, despite its demonstrated effectiveness in reducing body fat
In the context of this passage, the word "positive" can best be interpreted to mean
a. Certain, sure, confident
b. Cheerful, optimistic
c. Good, tending toward social benefit
d. A quantity greater than zero
41. I would without hesitation describe myself as a nature-lover. All aspect of nature-plants, animals, insects- fascinates
me. I do not need to travel to experience these things, after all these years of natural history magazines and
educational television programs I feel I know enough
Which of the following describes a person most similar to the speaker?
a. Someone who prefer fast food to gourmet fare
b. Someone content with reproductions of great art
c. Someone who reads only novels that are based on act
d. Someone interested only in making money