ASVAB Practice

Paragraph Comprehension

120 Paragraph Comprehension practice questions, each with the correct answer and the method behind it.

Practice tests Practice test 1 Practice test 2 Practice test 3 Practice test 4 Practice test 5 Practice test 6 Practice test 7 Practice test 8
  1. According to the passage, who holds the key to the lock?The technician doing the work
  2. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?Locking out a machine's power protects the person servicing it from an unexpected restart
  3. The author's primary purpose in this passage is toquestion the assumption that faster communication improved command
  4. It can be inferred from the passage that before field telephones, junior officersmade more decisions on their own initiative
  5. According to the passage, what should be done before connecting the tester?Run the headlights briefly to remove the surface charge
  6. As used in the passage, the word sags most nearly meansdrops
  7. Based on the passage, a financial counselor would most likely warn that the highest-interest-first methodmay be abandoned before it is finished
  8. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?The Cheapest Plan Is Not Always the Best One
  9. According to the passage, interval training consists ofshort sprints alternating with brief recovery
  10. The author's attitude toward the struggling recruits is best described assympathetic
  11. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?Routine record keeping is invisible work whose accuracy matters far into the future
  12. The final sentence rests on which unstated assumption?Beaver ponds and engineered reservoirs serve a comparable purpose
  13. As used in the passage, the phrase dropping the water table most nearly meanslowering the level of groundwater
  14. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a handover problem?Disputes over overtime pay
  15. The author's primary purpose in this passage is tocorrect a common picture of what deployment is like
  16. Which statement from the passage is best described as the author's opinion rather than a reported fact?Courage under fire rests on a less visible quality
  17. The passage is organized primarily bytracing a trend through examples, then describing a response to it
  18. According to the passage, why is a regular checking account unsuitable for an emergency fund?The money is too easy to spend
  19. Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?Workers cannot be relied on to judge their own fitness for duty
  20. As used in the passage, the word depressed most nearly meansreduced
  21. According to the passage, hearing loss from workplace noise is difficult to prevent becausethe damage causes no pain at the time it occurs
  22. It can be inferred that the safety officers mentioned would most likely supportredesigning or enclosing noisy equipment
  23. The main point of the passage is thatterrain reading remains worth teaching because equipment can fail
  24. As used in the passage, a saddle most nearly meansa low point between two higher ones
  25. According to the passage, an error of one millionth of a second produces a position error of aboutthree hundred metres
  26. Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?The system's accuracy depends on keeping clocks precise
  27. The passage is mainly concerned withthe gap between what a score measures and what people assume
  28. According to the passage, a person who has never borrowed may score poorly becausethere is no history from which to make a prediction
  29. It can be inferred from the passage that the original 1940s recommendationwas less demanding than the version now repeated
  30. The author's attitude toward the eight-glasses rule is best described assceptical of the figure but not of hydration
  31. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?Random selection is deliberate, not a weakness of the system
  32. Which of the following is NOT stated or implied in the passage?Jurors are paid less than the work is worth
  33. It can be inferred from the passage that the forests in questionhad adapted to burning at regular intervals
  34. The author's tone in describing the change in policy is best described asmeasured and free of blame
  35. According to the passage, the key difference in an apprenticeship is thatmistakes carry consequences beyond a grade
  36. The author's view of classroom training is best described asuseful but unable to teach one thing
  37. The main idea of the passage is thatsupply lines often decide campaigns more than battles do
  38. Based on the passage, an army that has advanced a great distance quickly is most likely to bemore vulnerable than it appears on a map
  39. The author's attitude toward unnecessary antibiotic use is best described asclearly disapproving and giving a reason
  40. As used in the passage, negligible most nearly meanstoo small to matter
  41. According to the passage, the correct deductible for a household isthe largest amount it could pay at once without borrowing
  42. Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?An athlete's own sense of readiness is an unreliable guide
  43. As used in the passage, the word window most nearly meansa period of time
  44. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?Technical zoning rules quietly shape housing costs
  45. According to the passage, honeybees dominate the discussion of pollination because they arevisible, movable, and easy to study
  46. It can be inferred that our knowledge of pollination is shaped mainly bywhich species are convenient to observe
  47. The author's primary purpose is toexplain why long-standing password advice was reversed
  48. Which statement from the passage is best described as the author's opinion?That the reversal is a useful reminder about advice
  49. The author includes the detail that the pilot was highly experienced in order toshow that skill alone does not prevent the error
  50. It can be inferred that the passage regards a quiet week aspossibly a sign that problems are going unreported
  51. According to the passage, temperature indicators are carried becausea spoiled dose looks the same as a good one
  52. As used in the passage, consignment most nearly meansa shipment of goods
  53. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?Why Starting Early Matters More Than Saving More
  54. It can be inferred from the passage that introducing a natural enemy is risky becausethe enemy may itself spread beyond its intended target
  55. The passage is organized primarily bystating a principle, explaining it, then noting a risk it creates
  56. According to the passage, diagnosis usually begins witha partner who has noticed the breathing pattern
  57. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?Census errors shift resources away from the same groups repeatedly
  58. It can be inferred that the author would consider an undercount to bea problem of fairness rather than of arithmetic
  59. Which statement from the passage is presented as a fact rather than as a claim by one side?That an unrepairable device is replaced sooner
  60. As used in the passage, threshold most nearly meansthe level at which something is noticed
  61. According to the passage, when should a forklift operator slow down before a turn?Well before entering the corner
  62. As used in the passage, the word familiar most nearly meanswell known from repetition
  63. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?The subjects of recruits' letters have stayed steady while the letter's role has shifted
  64. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?Same Subjects, a Different Role
  65. It can be inferred from the passage that an iron tool stored in a dry desert shed wouldresist rusting for a long time
  66. It can be inferred that galvanizing protects steel bycorroding before the steel underneath does
  67. According to the passage, what happens once an envelope is empty?Spending in that category stops until payday
  68. The author's attitude toward the envelope method is best described aseven-handed, presenting both criticism and defense
  69. The main idea of the passage is thata crossing placed on an animal's existing route reduces collisions
  70. It can be inferred from the passage that collisions cluster at certain points becausethose points cross an animal route worn in over generations
  71. According to the passage, what is the most common cause of a failed fit test?Facial hair along the seal line
  72. The author's tone in describing the risk of an undetected leak is best described ascautionary and matter-of-fact
  73. The passage is organized primarily bypresenting a format's benefit, then a limitation and a response to it
  74. Which statement from the passage is best described as the author's opinion rather than a reported fact?The format is doing real work
  75. According to the passage, why does shade from a riparian buffer matter to fish?It keeps water below a temperature some species cannot survive above
  76. As used in the passage, the word tillable most nearly meanssuitable for growing crops
  77. The passage is mainly concerned witharguing that predictable drills teach less than unpredictable ones
  78. It can be inferred that an employee who has only experienced predictable, scheduled drills would most likelyknow the primary exit route well but be untested on alternatives
  79. As used in the passage, the phrase cost of waiting most nearly meansthe growth forgone by starting to save later
  80. Based on the passage, a saver who starts contributing at age twenty-five rather than thirty-five would most likelybenefit from a longer period of compounding on early contributions
  81. According to the passage, what is the stated purpose of a taper?To let the body absorb weeks of accumulated training stress
  82. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?A taper trades reduced mileage for full recovery before race day, even though it feels counterintuitive to a runner who feels strong
  83. According to the passage, a property tax bill can rise even without a rate change becauseassessed values may be adjusted upward based on nearby sales
  84. The author's primary purpose in this passage is toclarify a distinction that is often confused at public meetings
  85. The main idea of the passage is thattide pool survival depends on tolerating extreme conditions rather than outcompeting others
  86. The author's attitude toward tide pool animals is best described asadmiring of their ability to endure harsh conditions
  87. Based on the passage, an experienced pilot who skips the printed checklist and relies on memory would most likelyrisk skipping a step without noticing anything was missed
  88. As used in the passage, the phrase felt sense most nearly meansa subjective awareness or feeling
  89. According to the passage, why does a visible mistake in an honor guard ceremony matter?It draws attention to the performers rather than the person being honored
  90. The author's attitude toward the honor guard's precision is best described asrespectful of what the discipline accomplishes
  91. As used in the passage, the word coax most nearly meansgently draw out
  92. The author's primary purpose in this passage is toclarify what cloud seeding can and cannot realistically accomplish
  93. It can be inferred from the passage that platelets require more frequent donation drives than red cells becauseplatelets have a much shorter storage life
  94. Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?A single blood donation can benefit more than one patient
  95. The author's primary purpose in this passage is toexplain the historical reasons behind permit requirements
  96. Which statement from the passage is best described as the author's opinion rather than a reported fact?None of these rules is arbitrary, even when the paperwork attached to them feels that way
  97. According to the passage, what does a bat use the delay of a returning echo to judge?Distance
  98. As used in the passage, the word closes most nearly meansapproaches
  99. Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?Alternating posture and moving regularly matters more than a single default position
  100. The author's attitude toward standing desks as a complete solution is best described asdoubtful that standing alone solves the underlying issue
  101. According to the passage, why might a fast-growing area be underrepresented for a decade?A small undercount can affect representation and funding until the next census
  102. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?The Trouble With Counting Everyone Exactly Once
  103. It can be inferred from the passage that early canned rations failed primarily becausesoldiers did not want to eat many of the foods included
  104. The main idea of the passage is thatmodern rations are tested for how completely soldiers will actually eat them
  105. According to the passage, what do transition assistance programs treat the translation problem as?The single biggest obstacle between a qualified veteran and a job interview
  106. As used in the passage, the word translation most nearly meansrestating military experience in terms civilians understand
  107. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?Invasive species spread rapidly because the checks that limited them at home are absent
  108. The passage is organized primarily byexplaining a general principle, then describing when removal efforts succeed
  109. According to the passage, what is actually stored in a camel's hump?Fat
  110. It can be inferred from the passage that tolerating a swinging body temperature helps a camel conserveenergy that would otherwise be spent sweating to stay at a fixed temperature
  111. The author's primary purpose in this passage is tocorrect a misunderstanding about what a disclosure form implies
  112. The author's attitude toward employees who disclose ties plainly is best described asapproving
  113. According to the passage, why do most courts not admit polygraph results as evidence?The test measures stress responses correlated with lying, not lying itself
  114. It can be inferred from the passage that a truthful person who fears not being believed mightregister a physiological response similar to someone lying
  115. According to the passage, why is routine cleaning not primarily about appearance?Fouling can build invisibly inside the barrel where a rifle still looks clean outside
  116. It can be inferred from the passage that once a barrel has been pitted by rust,later cleaning cannot restore the accuracy that was lost
  117. According to the passage, what mistake do benefits advisers report seeing most often?Employees choosing the same plan every year without recalculating their situation
  118. Based on the passage, a household expecting a major medical event in the coming year would most likely benefit froma plan with a higher premium and lower out-of-pocket costs
  119. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?An index fund often outperforms actively managed funds mainly by charging lower fees rather than by superior stock picking
  120. As used in the passage, the word modesty most nearly meansa lack of ambition or overreach

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