ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension Practice Test 308885 Results

	Your Results	Global Average
Questions	5	5
Correct	0	3.28
Score	0%	66%

Review

Plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and gas). Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms (reducing or increasing the number of electrons in them), thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions.

What does the word "state" most closely mean in the context of this paragraph?

74% Answer Correctly

	territory
	category
	condition
	form

Solution

Although each of these words are synonyms for "state", form is the most appropriate given the context of this paragraph.

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. The extreme opposite of endemism is cosmopolitan distribution.

Based on this passage, which of the following statements is false?

47% Answer Correctly

	An organism that is indigenous to Australia can be found in India.
	Endemism requires an organism be unique to a defined geographic location.
	An organism that is endemic cannot have a cosmopolitan distribution.
	An organism that is endemic to Australia can be found in India.

Solution

You don't necessarily need to know the definitions of the words in a paragraph to figure out the correct answer. Just go through the answers one by one and logically compare the answer to the the paragraph and eliminate the answers that aren't supported by the facts.

Six years ago, lawyer-banker-scholar Charles Morris wrote a prophetic book - 'Two-Trillion-Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High-Rollers and the Great Credit Crunch' - that foresaw the 2008 Great Recession before it clobbered America and the world. Now Morris has reversed course and sees good times ahead. His forthcoming book, 'Comeback,' predicts that surging U.S. energy independence will bring a buoyant rise in American manufacturing and jobs.

This passage implies that you should pay attention to Charles Morris because:

73% Answer Correctly

	The U.S. is becoming more energy independent.
	His first book was a best seller.
	He's a published author.
	His predictions have come true once already.

Solution

This passage implies that because Charles Morris foresaw the 2008 Great Recession that his opinions about future economic events are credible and should be paid attention to.

Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. Short track speed skating takes place on a smaller rink, normally the size of an ice hockey rink. Distances are shorter than in long track racing, with the longest Olympic race being 3000 meters. Races are usually held as knockouts, with the best two in heats of four or five qualifying for the final race, where medals are awarded. Disqualifications and falls are not uncommon. The sport originates from pack-style events held in North America and was officially sanctioned in the 1970s, becoming an Olympic sport in 1992. Although this form of speed skating is newer, it is growing faster than long track speed skating, largely because short track can be done on an ice hockey rink rather than a long-track oval.

What does the author cite as the reason that short track speed skating is growing faster than long-track speed skating?

65% Answer Correctly

	Short track speed skating is more exiting due to frequent disqualifications and falls.
	Short track speed skating is more exiting because of the shorter tracks and knockout race format.
	Short track speed skating can be played in a more accessible venue.
	Short track speed skating is newer and appeals to younger skaters.

Solution

The author states that short track speed skating is growing faster than long track speed skating "largely because short track can be done on an ice hockey rink rather than a long-track oval" which implies that the ability to be played in a more accessible venue is fueling its growth.

The expert predicted that America's gross domestic product will return to more than 3 percent yearly expansion. For example, Dow Chemical is investing $4 billion in Texas plastics production that will be operational by 2019. Such growth requires cheap oil and natural gas - and "by 2022 or so, the United States will surpass Saudi Arabia in oil output, and Russia in gas." He continued: "The big attraction is the low price of natural gas, the lowest-carbon fossil fuel, which can be produced profitably at about a third the price per unit of energy as other hydrocarbons. That is particularly attractive to chemical companies. It is the raw material for plastics, Styrofoam, tires, sealants, adhesives, films, liquid crystal screens, nylons, polyesters - nearly everything around us."

According to this passage, what's going to cause America's future growth?

69% Answer Correctly

	Dow Chemical's $4 billion investment in Texas plastics production.
	Cheap oil and natural gas.
	Increased plastics production.
	Surpassing Saudi Arabia in oil output, and Russia in gas.

Solution

After predicting that America's gross domestic product will grow to more than 3 percent yearly expansion the expert states that "such growth requires cheap oil and natural gas".