- Ben asks himself, "Which forms are 'the ones in the box'?" What is the answer?
Answer: The old forms placed in the box below
When a passage uses a phrase like "the ones in the box," it's pointing back to something already described. Your job is to find what that phrase refers to — this is called identifying a referent, or what a pronoun or short phrase stands in for.
Read Maria's instructions carefully: she placed new forms on the counter and old forms in the box below. Then she said to recycle "the ones in the box." The phrase "the ones in the box" directly points back to whatever was placed in that box — which the passage clearly states were the old forms. That makes B the correct answer.
Let's look at why the other choices miss the mark. A describes the new forms on the counter — but those are the ones Maria told Ben to keep for customers, not recycle. Choosing A would mean Ben recycles the wrong forms entirely. C is a distortion — it invents a category ("all forms customers use before lunch") that the passage never describes. "Before lunch" refers to when Ben should recycle, not which forms to recycle. D introduces forms "checked by Maria that morning," which is never mentioned anywhere in the passage — this is a trap that sounds official but has no support in the text.
A good strategy: when a question asks what a phrase refers to, go back to the passage and find where that exact phrase or idea first appeared. The answer is almost always stated directly nearby. Don't let extra details in wrong answers distract you — if it wasn't in the passage, it can't be right.
- Dana asks, "Does my plan follow both directions on the label?" Which answer is best?
Answer: Yes, because eight hours passed and this is her third pill.
When a medicine label gives you two rules, your job is to check both rules — not just one. Here, the label says (1) wait eight hours between pills, and (2) take no more than three pills in one day. You need to verify Dana's schedule satisfies both conditions.
Let's trace Dana's plan: she took a pill at 7 a.m., then at 3 p.m. (eight hours later ✓), and plans to take one at 11 p.m. From 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. is exactly eight hours, so the spacing rule is satisfied again. She also takes only three pills total that day, which meets the daily limit. Both rules check out — making C the correct answer. It correctly identifies that eight hours passed and this is only her third pill.
A is wrong because the label says nothing about a morning-only rule. You must only apply rules that are actually written on the label — don't invent restrictions that aren't there. B is wrong for the same reason: "eleven at night is too late" sounds like common sense, but the label sets no cutoff time — only a gap between doses. D is wrong because eating food is a requirement (pills must be taken with food), not a loophole that removes the time restriction.
A useful strategy: on label-reading questions, underline each rule separately and check them one at a time. Wrong answers often either invent a rule that isn't there or ignore a rule that is — stay anchored to what the label actually says.
- Which question cannot be answered from this announcement?
Answer: How should workers sign up for the training?
When reading an announcement or notice, some questions can be answered directly from the text, while others cannot — because the information simply isn't there. Your job is to find the question the announcement fails to answer.
Read through the passage carefully: it tells you the training is on Thursday (answering A), at the Westside Community Center (answering C), and that workers should bring a photo ID (answering B). Each of those details appears word-for-word in the announcement. That means A, B, and C are all questions the passage can answer, which makes them wrong choices here.
Now look at choice D: "How should workers sign up for the training?" The announcement does tell you that workers must sign up before attending — but it never explains how to do that. Should they call someone? Fill out a form online? Visit an office? That information is completely missing. Since the passage leaves this question unanswered, D is the correct answer.
The traps here are subtle. Choice A might seem tricky because "Thursday" is a day, not a date — but the question only asks what day, so the passage answers it. Choice B is directly answered with "photo ID." Choice C is clearly answered with the location name. Students sometimes pick these because they misread the question — they look for what is answered instead of what isn't.
Your strategy: when a question asks what cannot be answered, go through each answer choice and find its matching detail in the passage. The one with no match is your answer.
- A reader asks, "What does 'balance' mean in this notice?" Which answer fits the passage?
Answer: The amount of the bill that is still owed
When a word has more than one meaning, context — the words and ideas around it — is your best guide to which meaning is intended. This question tests your ability to use context clues from a real-world document to figure out what a word means in that specific situation.
Look at the passage carefully. It's a bill notice — a message about money owed. The notice says a payment was received but part of the bill is "still unpaid," and then it tells you the "current balance is due by Friday." That language — unpaid, due, bill — all points to a financial situation where someone still owes money. That makes A the correct answer: "balance" here means the amount of the bill that is still owed.
The other choices reflect real definitions of "balance," but none of them fit this passage. B defines balance as money in a savings account — that's a banking term, but the passage is about a bill, not a savings account. C describes balance as two equal amounts canceling out — that's a math or chemistry concept, and nothing in the passage suggests equality or cancellation. D refers to physical balance, like staying steady on your feet — completely unrelated to a financial notice.
A useful strategy: when a question asks what a word means "in this passage" or "as used here," don't just pick the definition you know best. Ask yourself, What is this document about, and which meaning fits that topic? The surrounding words — like "bill," "payment," and "unpaid" — are clues pointing you straight to the right answer.
- Which question is answered by the information about the broken heater?
Answer: Why did the class move to Room Eight this week?
When a question asks which question is "answered by" a specific detail, your job is to match that detail to the problem it explains. Think of each fact in a passage as a puzzle piece — it fits with one particular question.
The passage gives you three facts: the class moved to Room Eight, the heater in Room Four is broken, and next week the class meets online because the teacher is at training. Notice how the broken heater directly explains why the class left Room Four — a broken heater makes a room unusable, so the class had to relocate. That means the broken heater answers the question "Why did the class move to Room Eight this week?" — which is choice C, the correct answer.
Now look at why the other choices don't work. Choice A asks why the teacher will attend training, but the passage never explains that reason — it only tells you training is happening. The broken heater has nothing to do with the teacher's schedule anyway. Choice B asks how students will enter the online class, and the passage never gives those instructions at all — that information simply isn't there. Choice D asks when the heater will be repaired, but the passage never mentions a repair timeline. Choosing D is a trap because it sounds connected to the heater, but the passage only tells you the heater is broken, not when it will be fixed.
A useful strategy: when a question focuses on one specific detail, ask yourself, "What problem or situation does this detail explain?" Then find the answer choice that matches that explanation — not just any choice that mentions a related topic.
- Which question should Elena ask herself while reading the notice?
Answer: Does the free parking rule apply on Saturday?
When you read a notice to find specific information, the most useful skill is reading with purpose — asking yourself questions that match your actual situation. Elena's situation is clear: she has a Saturday appointment and needs to know about parking costs. That personal goal should guide which question she asks while reading.
The notice tells you two key things: parking is free Monday through Friday for two hours, and on Saturday, everyone must pay at the machine. Since Elena is visiting on a Saturday, the most relevant question she can ask is whether that free parking rule covers Saturday — which is exactly what B asks. The answer from the notice is clear: no, Saturday requires payment. But asking that focused question is what leads her straight to the information she needs.
Choice A asks about employee parking, which the notice never mentions and has nothing to do with Elena's needs as a patient. Choice C asks why the clinic is closed Sundays — but Elena isn't going on Sunday, and the notice doesn't explain the reason anyway. Asking "why" about irrelevant details wastes your time. Choice D asks about weekday parking limits, which also doesn't apply to Elena's Saturday visit — her day of the week is the whole point.
The strategy here is simple: before you read a notice or sign, remind yourself why you're reading it. Then ask yourself questions that match your actual situation. On this exam, wrong answers often involve real details from the passage — but details that don't connect to the person's specific need.
- Jamal asks, "Do I remove the tray before or after I wipe the outside?" Which part should he reread?
Answer: "Next, wipe the outside. Then remove the paper tray."
When you're looking for the answer to a specific question about order or sequence, the best strategy is to go back to the exact part of the text that describes those steps — not the whole passage, just the relevant sentences.
Jamal wants to know whether wiping the outside comes before or after removing the paper tray. The passage uses clear sequence words to show order: "Next, wipe the outside. Then remove the paper tray." The word "next" comes before "then," which tells us wiping the outside happens first, and removing the tray comes second. Answer A contains both of those steps together, so rereading it gives Jamal exactly the comparison he needs.
Answer B tells Jamal to turn off and unplug the copier — that's the very first step, and it doesn't mention wiping or the tray at all. It won't answer his question. Answer C only mentions removing the tray, but it leaves out the wiping step entirely, so Jamal still wouldn't know which comes first. Answer D is a safety warning about water near the power cord — completely unrelated to the order of the two steps Jamal is asking about.
The key takeaway: when a question asks about sequence, look for sentences that contain both actions being compared, along with order words like first, next, then, or after. Those signal words are your roadmap. Training yourself to spot them will help you answer sequence questions quickly and accurately on any reading exam.
- Omar asks, "Can I attend without registering?" Which answer uses all the important information?
Answer: Maybe, because walk-ins may attend only when seats remain.
When a passage gives you conditions — rules that depend on a situation — pay close attention to words like "only if," "may," or "if." These signal that something is possible but not guaranteed. That's exactly what's being tested here.
The passage says walk-in students "may attend only if seats remain." This means attending without registering is possible, but not certain — it depends on whether space is available. So the honest, complete answer to Omar's question is "maybe." Choice C captures this perfectly: it acknowledges the possibility while stating the condition that must be met.
Choice A is wrong because the passage never says every free class must accept walk-ins. In fact, it says the opposite — walk-ins are only allowed when seats are open, which means they can be turned away. Choice B is wrong because the passage says registration is "recommended," not required. Adults are not required to register; they're just strongly encouraged to. There's a big difference between "required" and "recommended." Choice D is wrong because the passage says nothing about bringing a computer — this detail is completely made up and has no connection to the text.
The trap in this question is choosing an answer that sounds reasonable but goes beyond — or contradicts — what the passage actually says. Always ask yourself: "Is this stated in the passage, or am I assuming it?"
Study tip: On reading comprehension questions, the correct answer will match the passage exactly. If an answer adds new information or changes a word like "recommended" to "required," it's likely wrong.
- After reading only the first sentence, Lee wonders, "Is the cafe fully closed?" How should he answer after reading the whole notice?
Answer: No, because phone orders and window pickup are still available.
When a passage has multiple sentences, your job is to read the whole thing before drawing a conclusion — especially when an early sentence raises a question. Here, the first sentence only tells you the dining room is closed. That sounds alarming, but the rest of the notice adds crucial information.
The full notice explains that customers can still call in orders and pick them up at the side window until 6 p.m. So while one part of the cafe is shut down, the cafe itself is still serving customers — just in a different way. That makes D the correct answer: the cafe is not fully closed because phone orders and window pickup remain available.
Here's why the other choices miss the mark. Choice A correctly notes that customers can't enter the dining room, but it uses that single fact to conclude the cafe is "fully closed" — which ignores everything the second and third sentences tell you. Choice B goes even further, claiming floor repairs stop every kind of service. Nothing in the notice supports that; the workers are fixing the floor, not shutting down all operations. Choice C is tricky — it says the dining room will reopen before six, but the notice never says that. The six o'clock time refers to window pickup hours, not when the dining room reopens. Don't invent information the passage didn't give you.
A good strategy: when a question asks you to compare an early impression with the full passage, the answer almost always depends on details found later in the text. Always finish reading before you decide.
- While reading both messages, Rosa notices a difference. Which question is most important for her to ask before going?
Answer: Which meeting date from the two messages is correct?
When two sources give you different information about the same event, the most urgent task is figuring out which source is accurate — especially when the conflicting detail affects whether you show up at the right time.
Here, the printed notice says Tuesday, August eighteenth, while the text message says Wednesday, August nineteenth. These are two different days. Rosa cannot attend the meeting if she doesn't know which date is actually correct. That makes B — asking which date is correct — the most important question. It targets the one conflict that could cause her to miss the meeting entirely.
Choice A asks about the meeting location, but both messages agree the meeting is in the lobby. There's no conflict there, so it doesn't need to be resolved. Choice C asks whether tenants should bring chairs — that's a minor logistical detail, not something that affects whether Rosa can attend at all. Choice D asks how long the meeting will last, which is also a secondary concern. Neither C nor D addresses a gap or conflict in the information given.
The key concept here is identifying the most critical unknown. On reading comprehension questions like this, you're often asked to prioritize — not just notice a detail, but judge which detail matters most. When two messages contradict each other, the contradiction itself is almost always the most important issue to resolve.
Study tip: When a passage contains two sources that conflict, ask yourself: "What information, if wrong, would cause the biggest problem?" That's your answer.
