- What does "fragile" mean on the box?
Answer: Can break if handled roughly
When a word appears on a box or label, it is giving you important handling instructions — a clue about how the contents should be treated. Questions like this test whether you can use context clues from the passage to figure out what an unfamiliar word means.
Look at what happens in the passage: the box says FRAGILE, it contains glass cups, and Sam puts it down softly so the cups do not crack. Those details are your clues. Glass can shatter when dropped or handled roughly. Sam's careful behavior tells you that FRAGILE means the contents need gentle handling — otherwise, they could break. That logic confirms that A, "can break if handled roughly," is the correct answer.
Choice B, "too heavy for one person," is not supported anywhere in the passage. Nothing mentions weight or needing help to carry the box. Choice C, "must stay cold during travel," describes how you might label food or medicine, not glassware — temperature is never mentioned. Choice D, "is safe to leave in rain," actually describes the opposite of fragile; a fragile item needs extra protection, not less.
A helpful tip: when a question asks what a word means, always look at the surrounding details in the passage for clues. Ask yourself, "What is happening because of this word?" Here, Sam acts carefully because of the word FRAGILE. That action is your best clue to the definition. This strategy — using actions and context to unlock word meanings — will help you throughout the reading sections of this exam.
- What does "promptly" mean in this passage?
Answer: At the agreed time
When a reading question asks about the meaning of a word, your best strategy is to look at the clues in the surrounding text — the context — rather than guessing from memory. Ask yourself: what happened in the story that helps explain this word?
In this passage, the repair worker promised to arrive "at 9 promptly," and then — right on cue — the doorbell rang at 9. The story is showing you the meaning through action: the worker said 9, and at 9 the bell rang. No waiting, no delay, no guessing. That perfect match between the promise and what happened tells you that "promptly" means exactly on time, or at the agreed time. C is correct.
Now let's rule out the wrong choices. A says "sometime during the afternoon," but the doorbell rang at 9, which is a morning hour — not afternoon at all. This choice ignores the details the passage gives you. B says "after a long delay," but that is actually the opposite of what happened. The worker came right when promised, with no waiting involved. D says "at any morning time," which sounds close but is still wrong — it implies flexibility, as if any time before noon would do. "Promptly" is much more precise than that; it means exactly when planned, not just roughly around the right part of the day.
A helpful tip: when a vocabulary question appears in a reading passage, always let the story events guide you. The passage often shows you the word's meaning through what happens next — just like this one did.
- What does "vacant" mean in this notice?
Answer: It has no renter now
When a reading passage uses a word you don't know, look at the sentences around it for clues — this is called using context. The sentences before and after "vacant" tell you everything you need to figure out its meaning.
Notice the passage gives you a clear sequence: the last renter moved out, and then a new renter can move in Monday. That gap — between one person leaving and another arriving — describes a space with nobody in it. That's exactly what "vacant" means: empty, with no one living there. So answer D, "it has no renter now," fits perfectly because it matches the situation the passage describes.
Choice A is a trap because empty apartments sometimes do need repairs, but the passage says nothing about damage or fixing anything. Don't add information that isn't there. Choice B confuses "vacant" with "free" — while both words can sometimes suggest emptiness, "vacant" never means something costs no money. Choice C is the opposite of what "vacant" means. Vacant spaces are empty — no people, no furniture, nothing. Saying it has furniture inside contradicts the idea of vacancy entirely.
Here's a strategy to remember: when a question asks what a word means, re-read the whole passage first. The surrounding sentences almost always give you strong hints. Ask yourself, "What situation is happening right here?" The correct definition will match that situation — not an assumption you bring in from outside the text.
- What does "restricted" mean on the door?
Answer: Entry is limited to certain people
When you see a word you don't know on a sign or label, look for clues in the surrounding text. Those clues — called context clues — help you figure out the meaning without a dictionary.
Here, the passage tells you that "only managers have keys" and that "other workers must ask before entering." Both of these details point to the same idea: not everyone is allowed in freely. That's exactly what A means — entry is limited to certain people. The word "restricted" comes from the idea of restricting, or holding back, access. When something is restricted, it's controlled and not open to everyone.
B is the opposite of the correct answer. The passage clearly states that other workers need permission, so entry is not open to all. C is a common trap — students sometimes assume a closed-off room must be under repair, but the passage says nothing about repairs or construction. Don't add information that isn't there. D has no support at all in the passage. Nothing mentions lunch hours or free access at any time of day.
A good strategy for vocabulary questions like this one: don't guess based on what a word sounds like or what you've seen before — read the surrounding sentences first. The passage almost always gives you the answer in disguise. Ask yourself, "What does the text show me is happening?" If only certain people can enter, the area is restricted. Let the details do the work.
- What does "adjacent" mean in this passage?
Answer: Directly next to it
When a question asks you to find the meaning of a word in a passage, always use the surrounding details as clues — this is called using context. The passage tells you that Mina walked through "the next door" after leaving the bank, and that she did not cross the street. Those two clues together point directly to the word's meaning.
"Adjacent" means directly next to something — so D is correct. The pharmacy was right beside the bank, close enough that Mina only had to step through the next door. The passage confirms this with the detail about not crossing the street, which rules out any meaning involving distance or separation.
A is wrong because "across the street" would mean Mina did cross the street — but the passage explicitly says she did not. This choice contradicts the passage directly.
B is a tricky one — "sharing a wall on the inside" describes being connected through the inside of a building, like two rooms. But "adjacent" refers to things that are next to each other on the outside, as separate locations. The pharmacy and bank are neighboring buildings, not interior rooms.
C is wrong because "far down the same road" suggests significant distance. If the pharmacy were far away, Mina couldn't simply walk through the next door — she would have had to travel down the street.
A useful memory tip: think of the word "adjacent" as related to words like "next" or "beside." On vocabulary questions, always ask yourself, what do the surrounding sentences tell me about this word? The passage almost always gives you the answer.
- What does "retain" mean in this message?
Answer: Keep it for later use
When you see a word you're unsure about in a reading passage, look at the surrounding sentence for clues about its meaning. Here, the message says to "retain your receipt" because you "may need to show it" later — this tells you the receipt needs to stay with you over time, not be handed away or discarded.
That points directly to A — keep it for later use. The phrase "you may need to show it" confirms that the receipt must remain in your possession for a future moment, which is exactly what "retain" means: to hold onto something and not let it go.
B is incorrect because giving the receipt to the cashier is the opposite of what the message asks. If you handed it away, you wouldn't have it when you needed it. C is a distraction — while writing a return reason might be part of a return process, the passage says nothing about writing anything; it only addresses keeping the receipt. D suggests throwing it away, which completely contradicts the purpose of the message. The whole point is to not discard it.
A useful strategy: when a passage uses a word you don't know, find the action or result connected to it in the same sentence. Here, "retain" is connected to "needing to show it later," which signals holding onto something. On the literacy exam, everyday notices like store signs, receipts, and instructions often use slightly formal words — knowing that "retain" means "keep" is a great vocabulary building block for reading real-world documents.
- What does "postponed" mean in this message?
Answer: Moved to a later day
When you see an unfamiliar word in a short message, look at the surrounding sentences for clues — this is called using context. Here, the message tells you that Dr. Lee is out and asks you to come Friday instead of Tuesday. That "instead" is your biggest hint: something changed, and the visit is happening on a different day.
"Postponed" means delayed — moved to a later time. Tuesday becomes Friday, which is further along in the week. That confirms C is correct.
Let's look at why the other choices miss the mark. A says the visit moved to an earlier day, but Friday comes after Tuesday, not before — so this is the opposite of what happened. B says the appointment ended and won't happen at all — but the message clearly says "come Friday instead," meaning it is still happening. D suggests you'll see a new doctor, but the message never mentions another doctor taking over; it simply reschedules the visit.
A helpful memory trick: think of "post" as meaning "after," like in the word postseason (the games that come after the regular season). So "postponed" = pushed to after the original time. Whenever you see words with "post-" on a reading exam, that prefix is a strong clue that something comes later.
- What does "perishable" mean in this note?
Answer: Able to spoil if left warm
When a reading passage uses an unfamiliar word, your best strategy is to look for context clues — hints in the surrounding sentences that reveal the word's meaning. This question is testing exactly that skill.
Notice what the passage tells you: perishable food goes in the fridge first, and cans can wait on the counter. The fridge keeps things cold, which prevents food from going bad. That contrast — fridge versus counter — is your biggest clue. "Perishable" describes food that needs refrigeration to stay safe, meaning food that can spoil if left at room temperature. That makes C the correct answer.
Now let's look at why the other choices miss the mark. A says perishable means "sold only in metal cans" — but the passage actually separates cans from perishable items, saying cans can wait. If anything, cans are the opposite of perishable here. B suggests perishable relates to price, but nothing in the passage mentions cost at all — this choice is a distraction with no evidence behind it. D says "ready to eat without cooking," which describes convenience, not spoilage. Milk and meat (the examples given) aren't always eaten without cooking, so this definition doesn't fit either.
A helpful tip: on vocabulary questions, always read the full passage before choosing. Ask yourself, "What job does this word do in the sentence?" Words like "perishable" are often paired with examples (milk, meat) that give away the meaning. Train yourself to spot those examples — they're often the fastest path to the right answer.
- What does "mandatory" mean here?
Answer: Required and not a choice
When a reading passage uses a word you don't know, look at what happens around that word — the surrounding sentences are your clues. Here, the passage tells you that Ana doesn't want to go but her boss says she cannot skip it. That situation points directly to the meaning of "mandatory."
Because Ana has no choice — she must attend even though she wants to skip — "mandatory" means required and not a choice, making B the correct answer. The boss enforcing attendance is the strongest clue: when someone in authority says you cannot opt out, the thing is mandatory.
Choice A is tempting if you assume safety classes are typically for new workers, but the passage says nothing about who the class is for — it only says Ana cannot skip it. Don't add information the passage doesn't give you. Choice C contradicts the passage directly — if the class were "easy to skip," Ana's boss wouldn't need to enforce it. Choice D introduces the idea of delay, but nothing in the passage mentions timing or slow periods at work. D is a distraction with no support from the text.
A useful strategy for vocabulary questions: always return to the passage and ask, "What does the story show me about how this word is being used?" The events and actions around an unknown word usually reveal its meaning. On this exam, vocabulary questions rarely require you to already know the word — they test whether you can use context clues to figure it out. Practice spotting those clues, and unfamiliar words become much less intimidating.
- What does "eligible" mean in this passage?
Answer: Meets the rule for the discount
When you see a question asking what a word means in a passage, your job is to use the surrounding sentences as clues rather than guessing from memory alone.
In this passage, the first sentence tells you the bus discount is for people age 65 or older. The second sentence says Rosa is 67 — which means she meets that age requirement. The word "eligible" is used right after this connection is made, so the passage is telling you that meeting the rule is exactly what makes her eligible. B is correct: "eligible" means she meets the rule for the discount.
Let's look at why the other choices miss the mark. A says she already has the discount pass — but the passage clearly states she has not bought a pass yet, so this contradicts the text directly. C suggests she works at the bus company, but nothing in the passage mentions her job or any connection to the company — this detail is simply invented. D says she must ride a special bus, but again, the passage never mentions a special bus; this is a distraction that sounds vaguely "bus-related" without coming from the text.
A helpful tip: on vocabulary questions like this one, always go back to the passage and find the sentence where the word appears. Ask yourself, "What is happening in this sentence?" The context around the word — not your guess — is what gives you the meaning. Words like "eligible," "required," and "qualified" often show up on this exam and generally mean meeting the conditions for something.
