- Which worker also has a temporary job?
Answer: Maya is hired only for the month of December.
When a question asks you to match a vocabulary word from a passage, your job is to find the answer choice that matches the definition shown in the story — not just a choice that "sounds related." In the passage, Rosa's job is temporary because it has a clear end date and a specific reason for ending: it lasts only four weeks while another worker is away. That's your definition to work with.
Choice D is correct because Maya is hired only for the month of December — her job has a fixed, short time limit, just like Rosa's. Both jobs end when a specific period is over. That's what makes a job temporary.
Choice A describes the opposite situation. Lena will keep her job until retirement, meaning her job is long-term and permanent — there's no planned end date coming soon. Choice B describes Omar changing shifts, not changing job types. Moving from nights to days says nothing about how long he'll work there, so there's no reason to think his job is temporary. Choice C describes Jae working every weekend throughout the year — that's a regular, ongoing schedule, which actually suggests a stable, long-term position, not a temporary one.
A useful strategy here: when a question asks you to match a concept like "temporary," go back and ask yourself what made it temporary in the passage. In this case, it was the short, set time limit. Then look for the answer choice that shares that same feature. This "match the detail" approach works well on reading comprehension questions throughout the exam.
- What does vacant mean in this ad?
Answer: No one lives in the apartment now.
When you see a word you don't know in a reading passage, look for clues in the surrounding sentences — this is called using context clues. The sentences around an unfamiliar word often hint at its meaning.
Here, the passage says the last renter moved out and a new renter can move in today. Both of these clues point to the same idea: nobody is currently living there. That makes A — "No one lives in the apartment now" the correct answer. The word vacant means empty or unoccupied, and the passage confirms this by describing a space that someone just left and someone new can enter.
Choice B is a trap because "vacant" might remind you of a sale or deal, but nothing in the passage mentions price or rent being free. Choice C confuses "vacant" with rules about furniture — the passage says nothing about what can or can't be brought inside. Choice D brings up repairs, which also never appears in the passage. Both C and D introduce ideas that simply aren't there, which is a common trick in reading questions — the wrong answers sound possible, but they have no support in the text.
A good strategy for vocabulary questions like this: don't rely only on what you think a word means — always check the passage for evidence. Ask yourself, "What do the other sentences tell me?" If an answer choice introduces an idea the passage never mentions, you can usually eliminate it. Stick to what the text actually says.
- What should Ben do to substitute the yogurt?
Answer: He should use yogurt in place of milk.
When a question asks about the meaning of a word in context, your best strategy is to look for clues inside the passage itself. Here, the note says "substitute plain yogurt" — meaning use yogurt instead of milk. The word "substitute" means to replace one thing with another.
That makes B the correct choice. Ben should use yogurt in place of milk. The soup calls for one cup of liquid, Ben has no milk, so he swaps in yogurt. That's exactly what substituting means — one item takes the place of another.
A is a trap because it suggests adding both milk and yogurt. But the whole point of substituting is that you use one instead of the other — not in addition to it. Ben has no milk anyway, so this isn't even possible.
C misreads the situation entirely. Serving yogurt beside the soup means it's a side dish, not an ingredient. The question is about cooking the soup, not about what goes on the table next to it.
D ignores the note's instructions. Yes, Ben has no milk — but the note gives him a solution. Skipping the liquid altogether would likely ruin the recipe and ignores the guidance Ben was given.
A handy tip: when you see a vocabulary question, don't just guess based on what a word sounds like. Read the surrounding sentences for context clues. Here, "if there is no milk, substitute yogurt" directly defines the action — use yogurt in place of milk.
- What does fragile mean on the label?
Answer: The contents can break very easily.
When you see an unfamiliar word on a label or sign, look for clues in the surrounding text to figure out what it means. This is called using context clues, and it's a key reading skill tested on this exam.
In this passage, the label says FRAGILE, and the text around it gives you strong hints: the box holds glass jars, you're told to set it down slowly, and you're warned not to stack heavy boxes on top. All of these instructions are about being careful — protecting something that could get damaged. Put that together, and fragile means the contents can break very easily, making D the correct answer.
Now let's look at why the other choices don't fit. A says the box is too heavy to lift — but the passage never mentions weight being a problem, and "fragile" has nothing to do with how heavy something is. B suggests the contents must be kept cold — that would be a word like "refrigerate" or "perishable," not "fragile." There's also no mention of temperature anywhere in the passage. C says the box must be opened right away — but the instructions are about how carefully to handle it, not when to open it. That idea simply isn't supported by the text.
A useful tip: when a question asks what a word means, don't just guess based on how the word sounds. Always read the sentences around the word — the passage almost always gives you the clues you need to find the right answer.
- What does the manager mean by eligible?
Answer: Inez meets the rule and may apply.
When you see a word in quotation marks and the question asks what it means, you're being tested on vocabulary in context — using clues in the passage to figure out an unfamiliar word. This is a key reading skill, so let's work through it together.
The passage gives you the rule: workers need six months at the store to join job training. Inez has been there seven months — she passes the requirement. Then her manager says she is "eligible to apply." Since Inez meets the rule, the word eligible must mean she is allowed or qualified to apply. That makes C the correct answer: Inez meets the rule and may apply.
A is a trap because it adds urgency that isn't in the passage. The manager never says Inez must apply today — just that she can apply. B goes too far. Being eligible to apply is not the same as already having a guaranteed spot. She still has to apply and be accepted. D is the opposite of what the passage tells you. Seven months is more than the required six, which works in Inez's favor, not against her.
A useful strategy: when a question asks about a word's meaning, replace the word with each answer choice and ask, "Does this match what the passage is actually saying?" If you replace "eligible" with "meets the rule and may apply," the sentence lines up perfectly with the facts. If it adds information or contradicts the passage, it's wrong.
- What does rescheduled mean in this notice?
Answer: The visit moved to another day and time.
When you see an unfamiliar word in a notice or document, look for clues in the surrounding sentences. The notice doesn't just use the word "rescheduled" — it gives you the full picture: your old time was Monday at nine, and your new time is Wednesday at eleven. That context is your best tool for figuring out what an unfamiliar word means.
The word "rescheduled" contains the prefix re-, which means "again." So "rescheduled" means "scheduled again" — in other words, a new time was set. The notice confirms this by giving you a specific new appointment: Wednesday at eleven. That makes B correct. The visit moved to a different day and time.
A is wrong because the visit was not canceled — canceling means no appointment at all, but the notice gives you a clear new time. C is wrong because the day changed entirely (from Monday to Wednesday), not just the start time on the same day. D is wrong because the new time is very specific — Wednesday at eleven — so the visit is not "open" or undefined.
A useful strategy: when a notice or letter uses a word you don't know, keep reading before you panic. Writers of notices almost always explain what they mean in the next sentence or two. Here, the notice immediately tells you what changed and when your new appointment is — that's your definition right there. Train yourself to use surrounding sentences as a built-in dictionary.
- Which rider pays the exact fare?
Answer: A rider gives three one-dollar bills.
When a sign says "EXACT FARE ONLY," it means the rider must give the driver precisely the right amount — no more, no less — because no change will be given. Your job on this question is to find the rider who hands over exactly three dollars, nothing extra, and asks for nothing back.
That rider is in choice A. Three one-dollar bills equals exactly three dollars. The rider gives the right amount and expects nothing in return. That is the definition of paying the exact fare.
Now let's look at why the other choices miss the mark. Choice B has a rider giving five dollars and asking for two dollars back — that's using the driver as a cash register, which the sign clearly forbids. The rider is also overpaying by two dollars, so this is not exact fare. Choice C has a rider giving only two dollars, which is one dollar short of the three-dollar fare. Underpaying is never exact fare, and asking to ride anyway ignores the posted rule. Choice D has a rider giving ten dollars and asking for change — this is the furthest from correct, overpaying by seven dollars and expecting the driver to do exactly what the sign says cannot be done.
A helpful tip: when you see the phrase "exact fare" or "exact change," picture a vending machine. A vending machine takes your money and gives you a product — it doesn't hand back extra cash. Any answer where the rider expects money back is automatically wrong.
- What does overdue mean in this notice?
Answer: The rent is late and still unpaid.
When you see a word like overdue in a real-life document — a notice, a bill, or a letter — the question is testing your ability to figure out what that word means using the situation described. This is called reading in context, and it's a key skill for understanding everyday documents.
Look at what the passage tells you: the rent was due on Friday, it is now Tuesday (meaning several days have passed), and Kai has not paid. That combination — a deadline that passed and a payment that was never made — is exactly what overdue means. Something that is overdue is late and still unpaid, which makes D the correct answer. The word itself is a helpful clue too: "over" suggests something has gone past a limit, and "due" means owed. Past the due date = overdue.
A is wrong because overdue has nothing to do with the amount of rent — whether it's higher or lower. Don't confuse the status of a payment with its size.
B is the opposite of the truth. Overdue actually means payment is required and missed, not that it can be skipped.
C is also the opposite of what happened. The passage clearly states Kai has not paid, so the rent was definitely not paid before Friday.
A useful tip: when a question asks about a word's meaning, always go back to the passage and ask, "What is actually happening in this situation?" The story gives you the definition — trust it.
- What does dilute mean in these directions?
Answer: Make the cleaner weaker by adding water.
When you see a question asking what a word means, look at the surrounding sentences for clues — this is called using context. The passage tells you to "mix one cup of cleaner with four cups of water" and warns that "full-strength cleaner may harm the floor." Those details are your best hints for figuring out what dilute means.
Adding water to something makes it less concentrated — weaker, not stronger. That's exactly what the directions describe: mixing one part cleaner with four parts water. So B, "make the cleaner weaker by adding water," fits perfectly. The word dilute always involves weakening a substance by mixing it with something else, usually water.
A is the opposite of the right answer. Adding more cleaner would make it stronger and more concentrated — the passage even warns that full-strength cleaner can cause damage, so this directly contradicts the instructions. C is a distractor that sounds related to floor care, but drying the floor has nothing to do with the word dilute — it sneaks in a familiar idea to confuse you. D suggests combining two separate cleaning products, but the passage only mentions one cleaner mixed with water, not two different products being blended together.
A useful tip: when a question asks what a word means, don't guess from memory alone — read the full passage and find the sentence that explains or shows the word in action. Directions and instructions often define key words right there in the text, the way this passage shows you exactly how to dilute by giving you the mixing ratio.
- Which action follows the meaning of confidential?
Answer: Lock the form so only the manager reads it.
When you see a word like confidential in a reading question, your job is to figure out what that word means — and then match it to the right action. The passage gives you clues: it says the bank number is confidential, tells you to keep the form locked, and says only the office manager may read it. Those details together tell you that confidential means private or secret — something only certain people are allowed to see.
With that understanding, C is the correct answer. Locking the form so only the manager can read it matches the passage perfectly. It protects the information and limits who has access, which is exactly what confidential requires.
The other choices all do the opposite of keeping something confidential. A says to leave the form open on the front desk — that makes the private information visible to anyone who walks by, which breaks confidentiality. B says to show the form to all nearby workers — but the passage clearly states only the office manager may read it, so sharing it widely is a direct violation. D says to take a photo and send it to friends — that spreads the private information far beyond the office, which is one of the most serious ways to break confidentiality.
A helpful tip: when a question asks what a word means in a passage, look for sentences nearby that explain or describe that word. In this passage, the instructions to lock the form and limit readers are the passage's own definition of confidential. Let the passage teach you the word, then match that meaning to the answer choices.
