Reading Practice Test #U2013 6 (Reading Comprehension)

What evidence best indicated the location of the blast?

See solution for the supported answer suggested that the explosion may have been caused by a comet. (B) highlighted why tree resin from the time of the blast contained high-proton elements. (C) indicated that the blast may have resulted from Earth’s impact with a black hole. (D) explained why debris from outer space would have burned up in the atmosphere. The question asks how the simile in the sentence from paragraph 4 reflects the tone of the paragraph. The image of two or three fireflies creating small specks of light in the darkness creates a sense of isolation or loneliness in Margaret, as shown in the sentence, “A sudden feeling of isolation took possession of her” (paragraph 4). Therefore, Option B is correct. Option A is incorrect because Margaret is confused and indecisive, showing her discomfort with her situation. Option C is incorrect because Margaret expresses distress in her situation, questions her decision, and worries about being labeled a “fool” (paragraph 4). Option D is incorrect because the simile is meant to show how far away things are from Margaret, not create a feeling of dread, which develops later in paragraph 9 The question asks about the relationship between the theme and paragraph 9, where Margaret desperately tries to get someone on the train to notice her. One important theme of this excerpt concerns Margaret’s willingness to take action to ensure that she reaches her destination. This determination, described in Option A, is why she gathers her belongings together without help, gets off the train without being assisted by employees, and then attempts to climb back on while the train employees are busy examining the engine. Option B is incorrect because, while the narrator describes her screaming as useless, she does not feel that her efforts overall are useless, and she does not give up until paragraph 10. Option C is incorrect because, while Margaret is feeling a sense of “failure” in paragraph 9, she does not condemn herself as the train moves away. Option D is incorrect because Margaret has expressed “terror” in paragraph 9 over being unable to catch someone’s attention, not frustration over her lack of control over her surroundings

Correct Answer:

See solution for the supported answer

Explanation:

The question asks for evidence that best supports a detail in the passage. When scientists were able to travel to the site almost two decades after the blast, they found a circle of “scorched and downed trees” that marked the blast site (paragraph 2), making Option D the correct answer. Option A is incorrect because, although the scientists searched for a crater, they never found one (paragraph 2). Option B is also incorrect because the tremors recorded at a seismic station thousands of miles away detailed the magnitude of the event, not the location (paragraph 1). Option C is incorrect because, although huts were flattened when the blast occurred, the destruction of the huts was not evident when the site was found almost two decades later (paragraph 1)

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