ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension Practice Test 837671 Results

Your Results Global Average
Questions 5 5
Correct 0 3.29
Score 0% 66%

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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
Proto-Mayan is a modern variation of Mayan.
The Mayan language family is well documented.
Mayan languages are mainly spoken in South America.
Not much is known about the Mayan language family.
2
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
Drivers attracted by the high speed limits of the interstates are reckless and getting them off the traditional roads makes those roads safer.
After this change there are more police patrolling traditional roads.
Only the safest drivers still choose to drive traditional roads because they don't want to drive as fast.
More travelers choose to use interstates which reduces the number of cars on 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.
3
Longtime Attorney General Darrell McGraw was a fierce enforcer of state consumer protection laws, winning billions from firms and fly-by-night outfits that committed consumer violations. For West Virginia illness and death caused by cigarettes, McGraw won two lawsuit settlements from 23 tobacco firms for $1.7 billion and $200 million. In 2002, McGraw won $56 million from 15 coal companies that used "independent contractors" to duck state workers' compensation obligations.
A company who has violated state consumer protection laws in West Virginia would likely have which of the following opinions of Mr. McGraw?
67% Answer Correctly
misleading
negative
neutral
inflammatory
Solution
This paragraph states the the Attorney General was a fierce enforcer of state consumer protection laws and cites lawsuit settlements that he won against companies that tried to avoid or break those laws. A company who has violated state consumer protection laws in West Virginia would likely have a negative opinion of Mr. McGraw.
4
Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition that began in the United States around 1870. Pragmatism is a rejection of the idea that the function of thought is to describe, represent, or mirror reality. Instead, pragmatists develop their philosophy around the idea that the function of thought is as a instrument or tool for prediction, action, and problem solving. Pragmatists contend that most philosophical topics - such as the nature of knowledge, language, concepts, meaning, belief, and science - are all best viewed in terms of their practical uses and successes rather than in terms of representative accuracy.
Pragmatism would best be described as a philosophy that focuses on:
59% Answer Correctly
Imagination and planning for the future.
Practicality and present problem solving.
Reflection and learning from the past.
Describing and understanding the nature of reality.
Solution
According to this passage, pragmatists focus on present problem solving and the practical uses of philosophy.
5
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
An ancient text written in the language.
The same text written in two different dialects of the language.
Old folk songs that have been passed down among generations of speakers of the language.
Two editions of the same text written one-hundred years apart.
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.