ASVAB Reading Comprehension Test

The ASVAB comprehension test covers various topics. There are 15 questions on this subtest of the ASVAB exam and you are allowed 13 minutes to complete this section. These questions also require a fair amount of speed; however, take the time to read each passage. Do not try and skim over the passage due to the fact that some of the answer choices may require a “best answer” guess on the ASVAB test. You can average about 30 seconds per question on this section of the ASVAB test.

Sample ASVAB Test Paragraph Comprehension Section:

Frank Tower, have you ever heard of him? He is the questionable figure who supposedly survived three doomed ships in the 1900’s. Some consider him one of the luckiest men alive. He was touted to be a middle-aged fireman in the engine room. Some considered him an ordinary, hardworking person, but he had the ability to avoid dying in some of the most horrendous ocean liner accidents ever recorded.

He was said to have once been a crewmember on the Titanic at the time that the ship hit the iceberg. Two years later, he was working on the Empress of Ireland when she collided with the Storstad. Over one thousand people died in that disaster. He was then employed in May of 1915 on the Lusitania when it was hit by a U-20 torpedo. He apparently lived through that without a scratch as well. If you are beginning to doubt this man’s existence, you are probably not to far from the truth. No records have been found ever listing a man by Frank Towers working on any of the three ships.

The legend of Frank Towers seems to be another case of an urban folk tale, humanity’s desire to see triumph over a tragic situation. Fact or fiction, Frank Towers is one of the multiple characters that help color the history books.

1. According to the article, the Lusitania is a?

A. Airplane
B. Torpedo Boat
C. Ship
D. Train

2. In this statement from the article, “He was touted to be a middle-aged fireman in the engine room.” Touted means?

A. Publicized
B. Demeaned
C. Set-up
D. Sighted

3. This passage sheds doubt on

A. The fact that three ships sank.
B. The thought that America was at war with other countries.
C. Frank Towers causing the ships to sink.
D. Urban folk tales are not always based on real people.

4. The title of this article could be

A. “Frank Towers, a Man of Mystery”
B. “Surviving the Impossible”
C. “The Legend of Frank Towers Debunked”
D. “How to Survive Doomed Ships”

5. According to this passage, which of the following phrases best captures the intent of the article.

A. A stitch in time saves nine.
B. Don’t believe everything you read.
C. Seeing is believing.
D. There are many layers of an onion.

ASVAB Reading Comprehension Answer Key

1. C
2. A
3. D
4. C
5. B