Practice Test 6 - ISEE Upper Level Reading Comprehension

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

What is the primary function of the final paragraph in the context of the remote work discussion developed throughout the passage?
What can be reasonably concluded about the factors influencing remote work success?
Which of the following best describes the author's intent? A short story follows Mateo on his first day at a new school after moving midyear. The hallway smells faintly of floor polish and cinnamon from the cafeteria, and lockers slam like impatient drums. Mateo grips his schedule until the paper softens at the folds. In homeroom, he chooses a seat near the window, hoping to look busy while he studies the unfamiliar faces. Ms. Patel greets him warmly, but Mateo still hears his own name echo when she introduces him. During group work, a student named Harper slides a worksheet toward him and says, "You can take the first question." Mateo hesitates, then answers, surprised by how steady his voice sounds. At lunch, he sits alone at first, watching friends trade snacks and inside jokes. When Harper waves him over, Mateo walks slowly, as if the floor might change under his feet. By the end of the day, he has not become popular, but he has learned the map of the building and the rhythm of the classes. On the bus ride home, he notices his schedule is no longer crumpled. He folds it neatly and thinks, for the first time, that tomorrow might feel lighter.
How do the passages differ in their assessment of nuclear energy's role in addressing climate change and energy needs?
Times New Roman, 12-point, double-spaced. [Editorial] The cafeteria's new "express line" was advertised as a triumph of efficiency. Posters promised shorter waits, faster service, and a smoother lunch period for everyone. In reality, the line moves with the speed of a tired turtle, and the only thing "express" about it is how quickly your patience disappears. The problem is not the staff. They work steadily, even when students change their minds at the last second or ask for five extra napkins. The problem is the system. The express line offers only a few items, yet it is placed directly beside the regular line, so the two crowds blend into one large, confused knot. Students cut in without meaning to. Others cut in on purpose, which is a separate hobby that apparently requires no equipment. Administrators might say, "We are experimenting," and experimentation can be good. But an experiment should have a clear goal and a way to measure success. Right now, the only measurable result is that more students arrive late to class, holding half-eaten sandwiches and irritated expressions. Here is a simple fix: move the express line to the far wall, mark it clearly, and assign one person to guide traffic during the first week. If the school can organize fire drills, it can organize lunch. We do not need a grand speech about community. We need tape on the floor and a plan that matches reality. Until then, the express line will remain what it truly is: a slow lesson in disappointment. The tone of the passage can best be described as...?
How do the passages differ in their assessment of the food industry's ability to address nutritional and health concerns?
As used in the passage, "fastidious" most closely means
Read the passage, then answer: Which piece of evidence best supports the author's main argument? In the early 1900s, many American cities struggled with overcrowded tenements, unsafe water, and frequent disease outbreaks. Reformers in the Progressive Era argued that city government should take a more active role in protecting public health. Their central claim was practical rather than ideological: when officials used scientific information and enforced clear rules, urban life became safer and more stable for everyone. One frequently cited example came from New York City, where public health leaders pushed for stronger sanitation policies. Newspaper reports and municipal records described streets piled with refuse and neighborhoods lacking reliable trash removal. As a result, reform-minded officials expanded street cleaning, improved garbage collection schedules, and pressured landlords to maintain more sanitary buildings. Reformers also emphasized water quality because contaminated water could spread illnesses quickly. City engineers and health departments began to test water supplies more consistently, and several cities invested in filtration systems. Although these projects were expensive, reformers argued that the long-term savings from preventing disease outweighed the initial costs. At the same time, cities experimented with disease monitoring. Health departments tracked outbreaks, posted warnings, and sometimes required quarantines when infections surged. While these actions could be inconvenient, reformers maintained that early detection reduced panic and allowed hospitals to prepare more effectively. Evidence for the reformers' approach appeared in both contemporary reports and later historical studies. For instance, secondary sources summarizing early 20th-century data often note that cities adopting filtration and chlorination experienced steep declines in waterborne illnesses. Primary sources, including annual health department bulletins, similarly recorded fewer deaths from typhoid fever after water improvements became routine. Therefore, the Progressive Era's public health reforms demonstrate that well-organized municipal action, guided by scientific testing, can measurably reduce urban disease. Even when residents disagreed about methods, the overall outcomes suggested that prevention programs were more effective than ignoring worsening conditions.
Read the passage, then answer: Which of the following best describes the author's intent? In an informative article about renewable energy and the economy, the author focuses on electricity prices and business stability. The author explains that energy markets can be unpredictable when fuel prices rise suddenly, which may force factories and small businesses to adjust budgets midyear. The author then introduces renewables as one tool that can reduce exposure to fuel price swings because wind and sunlight do not need to be purchased like coal or natural gas. A utility planning document from 2024 is cited, noting that long-term contracts for wind power helped one region keep average price increases below 2 percent during a period of higher fuel costs. The author adds an expert opinion from a grid manager who explains that adding renewable sources can diversify the energy supply, similar to how a balanced investment portfolio spreads risk. The author also notes challenges, including the need for storage and updated transmission lines, and explains that these upgrades can create additional skilled jobs. The tone is measured and explanatory, and the author avoids telling readers what to support. The final sentence states that understanding energy costs is "a practical habit," like reading nutrition labels before choosing food.
The author's attitude toward the company picnic is
How does the third paragraph function in relation to the challenge identified in the second paragraph?
What can be reasonably inferred about the difference between morning and afternoon patients?
Read the passage, then answer the question. Snow sifted down in slow, shining flakes, softening the edges of the world. Inside Aunt Lila's house, the windows glowed amber, and the porch light made the steps look like a welcome rather than a warning. Sam stamped his boots at the door, and warmth rushed out to meet him—air scented with cinnamon, oranges, and something buttery that made his stomach lift with hope. The hallway was crowded with coats and laughter. Someone had hung paper snowflakes that spun gently whenever the door opened. From the kitchen came the bright clatter of pans and the steady murmur of voices, as if the house itself were humming. "Sam!" His grandmother's voice rose above the noise, quick and delighted. She crossed the room with arms wide, her sweater dotted with tiny silver threads that caught the light. Sam felt his shoulders loosen as she pulled him into a hug that smelled faintly of peppermint. For a moment, the long drive and the dark roads behind him seemed to shrink into something small and forgettable. On the table, dishes crowded together: roasted vegetables shining with glaze, a bowl of cranberries like polished rubies, rolls stacked in a warm cloth. Candles flickered, and their flames made everyone's faces look softer. In the corner, cousins argued cheerfully over a board game, their voices rising and falling like music. Sam set his bag down and listened. The house crackled with life. Even the floorboards sounded friendly, as if they were laughing underfoot. Question: Which emotion does the passage primarily evoke through its language choices?
Which piece of evidence best supports the author's main argument? The author concludes that recycling programs succeed when they prioritize clarity and convenience rather than relying on guilt. Many residents want to recycle, yet they are discouraged by confusing rules that vary by neighborhood or change without notice. The passage argues that when a city standardizes labels and collection procedures, contamination decreases and usable material increases. In other words, the design of the system can make responsible behavior easier. The author cites a case study from a mid-sized city that redesigned its bins in 2021. Instead of long lists of prohibited items, the city used simple pictures and a short set of "yes" examples printed directly on the lid. It also distributed the same guide in multiple languages and posted identical signs at apartment recycling rooms. After the change, the city's waste department reported fewer plastic bags and food scraps mixed into recycling loads. Additionally, the author notes that convenience matters as much as information. When recycling bins are located far from trash bins, people are more likely to throw everything away. Therefore, the city required new public buildings to place paired bins together and to empty them on the same schedule. The author argues that these small design choices reduce the effort required to recycle correctly. Critics sometimes say that recycling depends mainly on personal virtue. However, the author responds that even motivated people make mistakes in poorly designed systems. For that reason, the author concludes that the most effective recycling policies treat residents as partners and remove unnecessary obstacles.
How do the passages collectively address the debate over lowering the voting age to 16 in terms of rights and readiness?
<div style="font-size:12pt; line-height:1.5;"> <p>Passage: In recent years, many communities have begun treating food waste as an environmental issue rather than a private inconvenience. When edible food is thrown away, the resources used to grow, package, and transport it are also wasted. In addition, discarded food in landfills produces gases that contribute to climate change. For these reasons, reducing food waste can have benefits that go far beyond saving money at the grocery store. Some solutions are surprisingly practical. A restaurant owner might track which dishes are frequently left unfinished and adjust portion sizes accordingly. A school cafeteria might set up a "share table" where unopened items can be taken by other students instead of being discarded. In one city, volunteers collect unsold bread and produce from markets at closing time and deliver it to shelters the same evening. These efforts show that food waste is not inevitable. With better planning and community cooperation, people can reduce environmental harm while also helping neighbors who face food insecurity.</p> <p>Question: Which of the following best captures the central idea of the text?</p> </div>
Drawing from both passages, what emerges as the central challenge in climate change adaptation?
In 1919, the coastal town of Greyhaven reopened its tin-smelting works after a four-year silence, though the brick chimneys still bore soot-darkened initials of the prior owner, and the ledger in the clerk's office began again at "Page 312," as if earlier entries had been removed. The mayor's notice, posted 3 March 1919, praised "renewed industry" yet avoided naming the investors, referring only to "friends in the capital," while the foreman—new to the town—ordered workers to speak to no reporters and to deliver slag heaps at night to barges that did not fly a flag. At the rail spur, crates marked "agricultural implements" were guarded by men whose boots, polished beyond a laborer's habit, left the same narrow tread as those seen outside the shuttered customs house. When a schoolteacher asked why the harbor lanterns were now lit even in clear weather, the lighthouse keeper answered that "some captains prefer certainty," then fell silent when a boy mentioned the missing buoy. By late April, the town's grocer began stocking imported coffee again, but he accepted payment only in paper notes, refusing coins "until the bank says otherwise." On 12 May, a small fire broke out near the accounting room; it was extinguished quickly, yet the next day the clerk's desk had been replaced, and the mayor announced that "all records are secure." The local newspaper, once eager to print shipping schedules, ran instead a long column about spring planting, and its editor took an unannounced trip to the city. At the first summer fête, the brass band played, but the veterans' row was thin, and several families left before dusk when a patrol boat idled offshore without docking. What can be inferred about Greyhaven's reopening in 1919?
What is the primary difference in how the passages approach the topic of social media's transformation of communication?
Times New Roman, 12-point, double-spaced. [Historical Speech] Citizens and students gathered here today, we stand at the edge of a new school year, and edges matter. An edge is where you can step forward, but it is also where you can slip. We celebrate the promise of fresh notebooks and clean hallways, yet we must not confuse a clean hallway with a clear purpose. In the months ahead, you will hear the word "achievement" spoken often. It will be printed on posters, announced over loudspeakers, and repeated until it sounds like a drumbeat. Achievement is good. But achievement without character is a tall building with a weak foundation. It may look impressive from the street, and then it collapses when the weather changes. I have seen classrooms where students listen with bright eyes, and I have seen classrooms where students sit like closed doors. The difference is not always talent. The difference is effort, and the decision to keep trying when the work is difficult. That decision is not made once. It is made on ordinary Tuesdays, when nobody is watching. Let us be proud, yes, but let us also be alert. Let us applaud the winners, but let us also notice the quiet student who keeps returning after a setback. Let us enjoy our progress, but let us ask what it costs. If we chase grades and ignore integrity, we will win numbers and lose ourselves. So I ask you to carry two truths at the same time: hope for what you can become, and caution about what can distract you. Walk forward with confidence, but keep your eyes open. What is the tone of the passage?

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