Paragraph Comprehension Practice Question Answers
1. The correct answer is "a." The main theme of the selection is a comparison of the economy of the 30s with the economy of today. While other topics are mentioned in the paragraph, they do not represent the main overall theme. The cost of food and shelter, the number of social and governmental agencies, and the Great Depression are all part of the comparison of the two eras.
2. The best answer is "d". To get this one right, however, you must remember what we said about "inference" questions on the Paragraph Comprehension section of the ASVAB. Inference questions are not specifically spelled out. You have to read the passage and interpret the opinions expressed by the writer. The passage mentions that we have unemployment compensation, social security, and Medicaid to support some of the needy. Obviously, these agencies will provide help to some needy people who lived without them in the early 1930s. Therefore, we have more mechanisms in place today to deal with economic downturns.
3. The correct answer is "c." There is a cause and effect aspect to the question. The passages don't say that any one thing is responsible for a dog's poor behavior. The message is that neglect of a dog through lack of exercise and regular training will make any dog a difficult household companion. Choice "b" might be tempting because it's true, but there is no support for that choice in the paragraphs.
4. Choice "a" is the correct one. The paragraph indicates a cause and effect relationship between a bored dog and troubles such as chewing, barking, aggression, or other spoiled behavior. With regard to option "b", it is true that the writer advises regular exercise and feeding, but nowhere does it say that this is a cure for "all your ills." Choices "c" and "d" are irrelevant to a dog and to the score on your ASVAB tests.
5. This is a simple word meaning question. The word "erratic" most closely means "inconsistent" so choice "a" is correct. If you didn't know the meaning of the word, you might have guessed it from context. What kind of commands would confuse the dog? Inconsistent commands confuse soldiers and other people and dogs.
6. The correct answer is "d", the preservation of a historic site. There is mention of archeology and a dam project that would have flooded the area where the archeological site is located. The implications of this are that an important historical site would have been destroyed, along with the knowledge that might come from it. The article does say the dam project was abandoned but this is not the central issue or main theme. By the same token, the Native Americans were driven away but neither is this the central theme.
7. The correct answer is "d." You can pick that up from context too, since a dam would result in the flooding of the area where the dam is to be built. You can use the process of elimination to rule out the word "plow" because it would be ridiculous to plow and farm an area where you are building a dam. "Intubate" is a medical word involving the insertion of a tube ("tube" is within the word itself) and "regulate" doesn't make sense either.
8. The best answer is "b." The main theme of the passage is that the proposed dam would have destroyed the remnants of ancient Indian villages "on both sides of the Delaware River." The author's focus is on the importance of preserving the archeological record of the Indian settlements where the dam would have been built. The other answers are unsupported by the text.
9. The correct answer is "a." The only answer that makes sense is that area flooding would have made historical excavation virtually impossible. The other choices are not supported by any information in the passage. Choice "b" is absurd because there are no particular years that favor archeology.
