Reading Practice Test #U2013 6 (Reading Comprehension)

The question asks for an explanation of what the imagery in the excerpt from paragraph 9 conveys. The words “useless” and “failure” in the sentence indicate that Margaret’s best efforts do not help her. The phrase “the last car slatted itself past” shows that Margaret is helpless to stop the train from departing, which leaves her completely vulnerable, as described in Option D. Option A is incorrect because describing Margaret’s “sickening sense of terror” indicates that she is extremely afraid of being left behind rather than increasingly irritated with the other passengers. Option B is incorrect because Margaret spends her time “screaming, running, trying to attract some one’s attention” in an effort to be noticed so that the train will stop, not attempting to run as fast as the train. Option C is incorrect because while Margret’s screaming and running could easily suggest feelings of anger, descriptions of her “sickening sense of terror and failure” indicate otherwise See solution for the supported answer It confirms Margaret’s understanding that she cannot rely on help from anyone else. (B) It leads Margaret to realize that her efforts to change her situation are ineffective. (C) It causes Margaret to believe that her own actions led to an unfavorable outcome. (D) It reinforces Margaret’s frustration about her lack of control over her surroundings. The questions asks for an explanation of how paragraph 1 supports the passage. Paragraph 1 provides several examples of the severe damage caused by the explosion, as stated in Option B. Option A is incorrect because the scientific aspects of the explosion are not discussed until later in the passage. Option C is incorrect because paragraph 1 discusses some of the effects of the blast rather than the potential cause. Although human suffering is one detail described in paragraph 1, this is not the primary evidence of the explosion’s destruction, making Option D incorrect