Main Idea and Primary Purpose Practice Test

Passage: Some organizations assume that the best way to improve employee performance is to measure it more frequently. Proponents of continuous monitoring argue that abundant metrics reveal problems early and deter complacency. Yet the passage notes that measurement can change what it measures: when workers know that only a few indicators are tracked, they may optimize those indicators even if doing so undermines unmeasured but important tasks. Moreover, frequent evaluation can increase short-term caution, discouraging experimentation whose benefits are uncertain and therefore hard to capture in near-term metrics. The author does not reject measurement outright; instead, the author contends that metrics are most useful when treated as prompts for inquiry rather than as definitive scores, and when they are paired with qualitative judgment that can notice trade-offs and context. The passage concludes that performance systems should be designed to learn from work, not merely to rank workers.

Question: The primary purpose of the passage is to…

Passage: When cities consider planting more trees to address summer heat, advocates sometimes imply that tree canopy is a universal remedy. The passage agrees that shade and evapotranspiration can lower local temperatures, but it emphasizes that the effect depends on placement, species, and surrounding infrastructure. For example, dense canopy over asphalt parking lots may reduce surface temperatures substantially, whereas scattered trees along wide, windy corridors may yield only modest cooling. The author also notes potential trade-offs: some species emit compounds that can contribute to ozone formation under certain conditions, and increased pollen can worsen allergies. Rather than treating tree planting as a symbolic gesture, the passage argues for integrating it with broader heat-mitigation strategies such as reflective materials and building design, and for evaluating outcomes with neighborhood-specific data.

Question: Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?