The reading comprehension test is a verbal reasoning aptitude test meant to measure your aptitude for gathering information, critical thinking, and understanding of varying contexts. These exams ask you to look at different selections of literature (poems, excerpts of novels, excerpts of articles, et cetera) and answer a series of questions based of the passage.
In this article, we will take a look at a few free sample passages with relative questions and answers. But first, let’s talk about preparation!
Regardless of the type of English-based assessment, the easiest ways to prepare are to make a habit of reading for fun and utilizing online practice exams such as the one below! Broadening your reading scope will lead to inherent understanding of context.
As aforementioned, reading comprehension tests expect you to gather varying bits of information from a given passage to determine your contextual understanding. The question types vary based on the type of passage (poem, novel, article, etc.) and the level of difficulty (elementary to advanced). For the sake of practice, we will look at a particularly difficult excerpt together before you move on to the individual practice selections at the bottom. The practice questions for the example excerpt include tips for tackling the different question types.
Example Excerpt from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Act 1 Scene V
Messenger
The king comes here to-night.
Lady Macbeth
Thou’rt mad to say it:
Is not thy master with him? Who, were’t so,
Would have inform’d him for preparation.
Messenger
So please you it is true: our thane1 is coming:
One of my fellows had the speed of him,
Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more
Than would make up his message.
Lady Macbeth
Give him tending2;
He brings great news.
Example Question 1:
Based on the context, which of the following is a synonym for “thane”?
Explanation: This is a common question type in reading comprehension exams. The question asks you to identify a given word, analyze the surrounding context for meaning, and determine which choice has a similar meaning. In this example, we can see that the messenger is telling Lady Macbeth that the “thane” is coming. He began the exchange by informing her that the king would be arriving that night, so we can safely assume that “thane” and “king” have the same meaning.
Looking at our answer choices, we can eliminate C and D. Both of these words mean the same thing (a person who is low in the feudal system or a general hierarchy, which is the opposite of a king). Now, looking at choice B, we can parse out that “matriarch” refers to a woman in charge due to the prefix matri-, meaning mother. In the context, “king” and “thane” have a masculine meaning, making “matriarch” a clearly wrong answer. A: Monarch is the correct answer.
Example Question 2:
Which of the below phrases most likely means the same thing as the underlined phrase?
Explanation: Another common question type within the reading comprehension assessment asks you to reference an underlined phrase and use the given context to determine the meaning. In this question, the underlined phrase is “dead for breath,” which you’ve probably figured out means “breathless” or “out of breath.” Luckily, this meaning makes eliminating choices A and C easy.
A trick that test makers will often use in these types of questions is to throw in an advanced-level vocabulary word (“sordid” in this case) to throw you off. The word “sordid” means dirty or repulsive–so it wouldn’t make sense in the passage’s context. Using this logic, we can safely assume that B: Exhausted is the correct answer.
Example Question 3:
What is most likely the reason the author chose to use the word “tending” in the passage?
Explanation: This question type asks you to use your critical thinking skills to empathize with the author in order to try and understand the author’s purpose. We can again rely heavily on the context: the word “tending” is used in the same place that Lady Macbeth states that the king is bringing good news. Based on this, we can safely eliminate choices C and D.
Looking at our remaining choices and the context, we know that the messenger states that the king is “dead for breath” meaning “exhausted,” but there is no mention of food anywhere in the passage. The lack of context for food makes A an improbable answer, leaving us with the correct answer, B.
Using what you’ve learned so far, take advantage of the following free example passages and questions. An answer key can be found at the bottom! Remember that the exam is testing your aptitude for critical thinking and use of context, and that question types can vary based on the type of passage. Below you will find three sample passages, one of each of the most common passage types: a poem, a novel excerpt, and an article excerpt.
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction2 ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
“Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost
Leaflets
At dusk they pour from the sky. They blow across the ramparts, turn cartwheels over rooftops, flutter into the ravines between houses. Entire streets swirl with them, flashing white against the cobbles. Urgent message to the inhabitants of this town, they say. Depart immediately to open country3.
The tide climbs. The moon hangs small and yellow and gibbous. On the rooftops of beachfront hotels to the east, and in the gardens behind them, a half-dozen American artillery units drop incendiary rounds into the mouths of mortars.
Excerpt from All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Environmental advocates maintain that plastics are largely single-use. A 2020 Greenpeace USA survey found that plastics with resin codes #3-7 are virtually impossible to recycle, because of limited facility processing capabilities and insufficient market demand. Lawsuits are currently ongoing against Walmart and Keurig Green Mountain, arguing that those companies have violated Federal Trade Commission guidance by presenting plastic items as recyclable. The corporate giants have defended themselves against the allegations and emphasize their commitment to sustainability.
Excerpt from “How Useful is Recycling, Really?” by E. A. Crunden writing for The Atlantic.
