Practice Test 11 - ISEE Upper Level Reading Comprehension

20 questions. Answer them in any order, then submit to see your score and every explanation.

The tone of this retail advertisement is
In this context, "prudent" most nearly means
Synthesizing both passages, what fundamental dilemma characterizes the current state of AI implementation in healthcare?
Read the passage, then answer the question. The abandoned mansion crouched at the end of the lane, its iron gate tilted like a loose tooth. Ivy stitched the stonework in dark seams, and the windows stared blankly, as if they had forgotten what light was. Mara paused on the porch. The air smelled of wet wood and old leaves, and the wind slid through the broken eaves with a thin, whistling note. She pushed the door. It yielded with a reluctant groan, as though protesting her entry. Inside, dust floated in the gray daylight, turning the hall into a shallow, underwater world. Her footsteps landed softly at first, then louder, because the floorboards answered back—creak, creak—each sound a warning that traveled ahead of her. A narrow staircase rose into shadow. The banister felt cold and slightly tacky beneath her palm. Somewhere above, a slow drip kept time: plink…plink…plink. Mara's throat tightened. She tried to laugh, but the sound came out small, like a coin dropped into a well. When a draft brushed her neck, she flinched and hugged her jacket closer, suddenly certain she was not alone. In the parlor, a chandelier hung crookedly, its crystals dulled to the color of cloudy ice. A torn curtain breathed in and out at the window, even though the room was sealed. Mara stood still, listening. The house seemed to hold its breath with her, waiting for her next move. Question: Which words or phrases best establish the mood in the passage?
Dr. Chen's attitude toward the emergency situation can be characterized as
What mood does the author establish through the language choices in this performance scene?
When synthesizing information from both passages, what emerges as the central tension in contemporary urban development?
The tone of this restaurant advertisement is
How do the passages differ in their assessment of the societal implications of increasing human longevity?
Read the embedded passage: Climate change is often described as a chain reaction with identifiable causes and measurable effects. When societies burn coal, oil, and natural gas, they emit greenhouse gases; as a result, the atmosphere traps more heat. Consequently, average temperatures increase, and heat extremes become more common in many regions. The author then shows how this warming alters precipitation patterns. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture; as a result, some storms deliver heavier downpours that can flood basements and delay buses. At the same time, higher evaporation can dry soils; consequently, droughts may intensify, stressing crops and increasing wildfire risk. The passage uses data to ground its claims, noting that carbon dioxide has risen from about 280 parts per million in preindustrial times to over 420 parts per million recently. The final sentences mention emission reductions and adaptation planning, but the overall structure remains causal rather than argumentative. Which phrase indicates a cause and effect relationship in the passage?
Read the passage, then answer the question. The court was silent in a way that felt loud. Rina stood at the service line, ball in hand. The air was still. Even the trees beyond the fence seemed to pause. She bounced the ball. Once. Twice. Her opponent shifted on the other side, quick and watchful. Rina's grip tightened. She could feel the rough fuzz against her fingertips. "Match point," the umpire said, calm as if announcing the weather. Rina swallowed. Her heart did not race; it hammered. She tossed the ball. It rose. It hung. For a split second, she thought about missing. Then she swung. The racket met the ball with a sharp pop, and the sound snapped the silence in two. Question: How does the author's language in paragraph 3 contribute to the overall mood?
The defense attorney's tone throughout this closing argument is:
In this context, "sanguine" is best defined as...
Read the passage, then answer the question. The Panama Canal is a man-made waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Isthmus of Panama. It opened in 1914 and significantly reduced travel distance for ships that otherwise would have sailed around South America. The canal uses a lock system, which raises and lowers ships to different water levels, rather than a sea-level channel. Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created by damming the Chagres River, supplies much of the water used in the locks. The passage states that France first attempted to build a canal in the 1880s, but the project failed because of engineering challenges, financial problems, and widespread disease. Later, the United States took over the effort, and improved sanitation reduced yellow fever and malaria among workers. The canal's construction required massive excavation, especially through the Culebra Cut, where workers removed large quantities of rock and soil. When the canal opened, it became an important route for global trade and naval movement. In 1999, control of the canal was transferred from the United States to Panama under the terms of earlier treaties. In the twenty-first century, Panama completed a major expansion that added larger locks, allowing bigger ships to pass. The passage explicitly notes that the canal remains economically significant because it serves as a key corridor for international shipping. Question: Which statement is directly supported by the passage?
In the context of the passage, "desultory" most nearly means...
What mood do the author's language choices create in this passage about the lighthouse keeper?
Read the embedded passage: Many discussions of climate change rely on cause and effect to connect human choices with environmental shifts. When forests are cleared for agriculture, carbon stored in trees is released through decay or burning; as a result, atmospheric carbon dioxide increases. In addition, the loss of tree cover reduces local cooling from shade and transpiration, which can raise regional temperatures. Consequently, warmer conditions can lengthen wildfire seasons, and fires then emit more greenhouse gases, reinforcing the original warming. The passage uses data-driven examples to show that these links are not abstract. Satellite records demonstrate that some regions have experienced more frequent large fires during unusually hot and dry years, while air-quality measurements show spikes in fine particles during smoke events. These particles can aggravate asthma and reduce outdoor activity for students. Another effect involves oceans: as seawater absorbs carbon dioxide, it becomes more acidic, which can stress shell-forming organisms and alter food webs. As a result, fisheries may see shifting catch locations, affecting coastal economies and the availability of certain foods. Although solutions such as reforestation and cleaner energy are mentioned, the central structure explains how one factor produces multiple downstream outcomes. How does the author structure the information in the passage?
The author organizes this passage using which structural pattern?
Read the passage, then answer: Why did the author write this text? This narrative story follows Amir on his first day at a new school after moving to a different city. The morning begins with Amir rehearsing his name in front of the bathroom mirror, worried it will be mispronounced again. At the front office, he receives a schedule printed on pale blue paper, and the numbers feel like a code he has not learned. When he steps into the first classroom, the desks are arranged in groups, and the room buzzes with conversations that stop for a second when he enters. Amir's teacher introduces him and invites him to share one interest. He mentions basketball, and a student named Tessa nods, explaining that the school has an intramural league. Later, Amir opens his locker and realizes he has forgotten the combination. His face heats up, but the student at the next locker calmly shows him a trick for remembering the turns. In the cafeteria, Amir studies the seating patterns like a map of invisible borders. He chooses a quiet table, then hears someone ask, "Mind if I sit?" By dismissal, Amir still feels new, but the day has collected small moments of kindness, like coins in a pocket.
In 1967, engineers at the Kestrel Dam installed a new set of gates designed to "moderate seasonal surges," according to a plaque that emphasized safety and modernity. Yet the maintenance logs, kept in a narrow ledger room that smelled of oil and damp concrete, recorded a different preoccupation: repeated notes about "unexpected silt load," "turbidity spikes," and "downstream complaints." A supervisor's memo dated 14 June instructed crews to schedule gate tests "only after dusk," and to notify the local radio station using the phrase "routine calibration," regardless of actual discharge volume. In late July, fishermen gathered near the spillway reported that the river ran "the color of tea" for two days, after which the water cleared and the fish returned, but smaller than before. The town council minutes from 2 August mentioned a "temporary reduction in reservoir recreation permits," though no explanation was provided, and the same meeting approved funds for repainting picnic tables. A visiting hydrologist, asked about the dam's performance, remarked that "systems are often judged by what they hide, not what they release," and declined to be quoted by name. The passage suggests that the dam's new gates were used in part to address what issue?

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