Academic Reading Comprehension Practice Test Answer Keys

Reading Comprehension Answer Keys: Set One

Passage 1: The Anasazi

• 1. B) Watered their crops
• 2. D) Holes
• 3. C) Levels
• 4. D) A forty-year-old woman
• 5. B) Crops
• 6. A) Arguments
• 7. A) Making baskets
• 8. B) The political and social organization of the Anasazi
• 9. D) Anasazi society exhibited a well-defined division of labor.

Passage 2: Polyergus and Formica Ants

• 10. A) Ants belonging to the genus Polyergus have an unusual relationship with ants belonging to the genus Formica.
• 11. C) Rear
• 12. C) Are social parasites
• 13. D) Egg
• 14. A) The Polyergus are highly dependent on the Formica.
• 15. C) Raid another nest
• 16. A) Dig
• 17. C) Enlist
• 18. A) The Polyergus and the Formica move to a new nest.
• 19. D) Dulotic species of ants

Passage 3: Ocean Tides and Gravitational Forces

• 20. D) The tides are the most powerful force to affect the movement of ocean water.
• 21. C) Detected
• 22. A) Actually
• 23. D) Distance
• 24. A) Similarly
• 25. A) The gravitational pull of the Sun and the Moon when nearly in line with the Earth
• 26. C) La imagen donde el Sol, la Luna y la Tierra están alineados en línea recta: S - M - E
• 27. C) Arrangement
• 28. B) The Sun counteracts the Moon's gravitational attraction
• 29. D) The strongest tides occur at the quarters of the Moon.

Passage 4: Urban Definitions and the SMSA

• 30. A) The changing definition of an urban area
• 31. A) 1870
• 32. B) Differentiated
• 33. B) 8,000
• 34. A) City borders had become less distinct
• 35. D) Persons
• 36. C) Making up
• 37. B) City
• 38. D) It consists of at least two cities.
• 39. C) 2/3
• 40. B) 1950
• 41. D) Lines 25-27

Passage 5: The History of Barbed Wire

• 42. B) A type of fencing
• 43. D) Unlimited
• 44. A) Break
• 45. B) Increased strength
• 46. C) Protect them against rust
• 47. C) Put
• 48. B) Cut the wire that becomes barbs
• 49. C) To describe how the wire is made
• 50. A) Military purposes

Reading Comprehension Answer Keys: Set Two

Passage 1: Sounds of Distressed Trees

• 1. C) The sounds made by distressed trees
• 2. D) Trees
• 3. B) Dehydrated
• 4. A) Condition
• 5. C) Cannot be heard by the unaided human ear
• 6. A) Broken
• 7. B) Lack of water
• 8. A) Perceive
• 9. C) Changes in color
• 10. C) Was continuing

Passage 2: Urban Traffic and Social Impact

• 11. B) Startling
• 12. B) They have varying amounts of traffic
• 13. A) 16,000
• 14. A) More vibrations
• 15. A) Point out the disadvantages of heavy traffic
• 16. B) Reduced
• 17. A) Octavia Street
• 18. D) Talked
• 19. B) People on this street have more and more space for which they feel responsible
• 20. D) HEAVY, LIGHT, MEDIUM

Passage 3: The Bessemer Steel Process

• 21. D) The effects of one method of making steel
• 22. D) The manufacture of weapons during the Civil War
• 23. B) At one time, more of it was produced than Bessemer steel.
• 24. B) 60 x 10^4
• 25. A) 1875
• 26. D) Expanding
• 27. C) They lasted longer
• 28. A) Driven

Passage 4: Modern Times Film Analysis

• 33. B) Analyze an important film
• 34. D) Motivated
• 35. B) A conversation with a reporter
• 36. A) Suddenly
• 37. D) Takes place outside a factory
• 38. D) Going insane
• 39. A) The scene
• 40. D) Helplessness
• 41. A) Complete
• 42. A) Revolutionary

Passage 5: Economic Resource Definitions

• 43. B) To define economic resources
• 44. D) The topic of economic resources is a broad one
• 45. B) Is much more restrictive than when economists use it
• 46. C) Fertile
• 47. D) Consumer goods
• 48. A) A railroad
• 49. B) Category
• 50. D) Entrepreneurs