ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension Practice Test 816919 Results

Your Results Global Average
Questions 5 5
Correct 0 3.33
Score 0% 67%

Review

1
The Mayan languages form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras. In 1996, Guatemala formally recognized 21 Mayan languages by name, and Mexico recognizes eight more. The Mayan language family is one of the best documented and most studied in the Americas. Modern Mayan languages descend from Proto-Mayan, a language thought to have been spoken at least 5,000 years ago.
Based on this passage, which of the following statements is true?
75% Answer Correctly
Not much is known about the Mayan language family.
Mayan languages are mainly spoken in South America.
The Mayan language family is well documented.
Proto-Mayan is a modern variation of Mayan.

2
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
Increased plastics production.
Cheap oil and natural gas.
Surpassing Saudi Arabia in oil output, and Russia in gas.
Dow Chemical's $4 billion investment in Texas plastics production.

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".

3
In linguistics, the comparative method is a technique for studying the development of languages by performing a feature-by-feature comparison of two or more languages with common descent from a shared ancestor, as opposed to the method of internal reconstruction, which analyzes the internal development of a single language over time.
Which of the following would be the most useful for someone using the comparative method in linguistics when studying a particular language?
66% Answer Correctly
Two editions of the same text written one-hundred years apart.
An ancient text written in the language.
Old folk songs that have been passed down among generations of speakers of the language.
The same text written in two different dialects of the language.

Solution
The wrong answers all provide insight into how a single language has changed over time while the text written in two different dialects offers an opportunity to compare languages that share a common ancestor.

4
In 2011, the Ohio Turnpike raised its limit to 70 and recorded its lowest traffic fatality rate ever that year. The higher speed limit attracts travelers to use the safer, limited-access, divided highways of the interstates from more traditional roads. That makes both types of roads safer.
Why does increasing the speed limit on interstates make traditional roads safer?
62% Answer Correctly
More travelers choose to use interstates which reduces the number of cars on traditional roads.
Drivers attracted by the high speed limits of the interstates are reckless and getting them off the traditional roads makes those roads safer.
Only the safest drivers still choose to drive traditional roads because they don't want to drive as fast.
After this change there are more police patrolling traditional roads.

Solution
More travelers using safer interstates increases their safety and reduces traffic on traditional roads. This reduction of travelers on traditional roads make those road safer because there are fewer vehicles on them. None of the other answers relate to the information given in the paragraph.

5
"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king." - Desiderius Erasmus
What does this proverb mean?
61% Answer Correctly
It would be easy for someone who can see to become king in a land of people who cannot see.
Someone who can see will be able to take advantage of others who cannot see.
Even someone with minor ability is considered special by those with no ability at all.
It is more advantageous to be able to see, even a little bit, than to be blind.