Reading Reading Sample Questions

Directions for questions 1-9

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Reading test
Read the passage and then choose the best answer to the
contains questions that measure proficiency in four question. Answer the question on the basis of what is
content areas. The four content areas are as follows: stated or implied in the passage.
Literary Analysis — Topics covered in this category
include: 1. When we think of volcanoes, eruptions, lava, and smoke-
filled air come to mind—all occurring on land. Most people
• Identifying and analyzing ideas in and elements of are surprised to learn about the prevalence of underwater
literary texts volcanoes on our planet. Because the lava and smoke spilling
out of an active, underwater volcano is contained by the
Main Idea and Supporting Details — Topics covered ocean, people generally do not take note of these eruptions.
However, the largest underwater volcanoes are capable of
in this category include: creating huge tidal waves, threatening coastal communities.
• Identifying the main idea of a passage
The main idea of the passage is that
• Comprehending explicit textual information in a A. traditional volcanoes and underwater volcanoes are
passage similar
B. the lava and smoke from an underwater volcano is
Inferences in a Text or Texts — Topics covered in this contained by the sea
category include: C. most tidal waves are caused by underwater volcanoes
D. underwater volcanoes receive little attention but can be
• Synthesizing ideas by making a connection or dangerous
comparison between two passages
• Making an appropriate inference about single
passages 2. In 2010, talk show host Oprah Winfrey and novelist
Jonathan Franzen kissed and made up afer a nine-year
Author’s Use of Language — Topics covered in this feud. In 2001, Franzen was disinvited from appearing on
category include: Winfrey’s TV show to pitch his novel The Corrections
• Identifying an author’s purpose, tone and after he made it clear that he was unhappy about the book’s
being chosen for the Oprah Book Club. Describing his work
organization or rhetorical strategies and use of as “in the high-art literary tradition,” Franzen said he didn’t
evidence want to be associated with the Club, which he accused of
occasionally choosing “schmaltzy, one-dimensional” novels.
• Determining the meaning of words in context But Winfrey is apparently able to forgive and forget: she
chose Franzen’s next novel, Freedom, for her book club and
said of it, “Now you haven’t heard me say this word often,
but this book is a masterpiece.”

The passage implies that Franzen’s criticism of the Oprah

Book Club was motivated primarily by
A. pride
B. anger
C. insensitivity
D. ignorance

© 2013 The College Board. Diagnostic and Placement Test Sample Questions
3. The main authors of The Declaration of Independence 6. Television has been the primary source of information and
and the Constitution are usually thought of as America’s entertainment for most Americans over the last 50 years.
“Founding Fathers.” Other, less known personages also However, with Internet use on the rise year after year, some
deserve the title, however, and Noah Webster was one may wonder if surfing the net will soon surpass watching
of these. Through his writings, which include the still- television as Americans’ primary leisure activity. Indeed,
influential dictionary that bears his name, Webster sought to some recent surveys show that time spent on the Internet
legitimize an “American English” that was independent of is now greater than time spent in front of the television.
British spelling and pronunciation. For instance, Webster However, this statistic may not tell the whole story, as 59%
removed the “u” from “colour,” creating the distinct of Americans say they multitask, using the Internet and
American version of the word. watching TV simultaneously.

What is the main purpose of this passage? The main idea of the passage is that television
A. To praise the Founding Fathers A. is only one of many information sources
B. To present information about an important American B. may have become less popular than the Internet
C. To define and explain “American English” C. is watched by more people now than ever before
D. To distinguish American dictionaries from British D. focuses more on entertainment than on news
dictionaries

7. Plywood, while not the most pleasing wood to look at, has
4. If you are committed to healthy, green living and want to become an incredibly important building material in house
reduce your environmental footprint, you might consider construction. It is flexible, inexpensive, and strong. Its
expanding your daily diet to include bugs. Supporters of the strength is due to layers of thin wood glued on top of each
edible insect initiative rightfully argue that farming insects other with the grain of each layer making a right angle with
has a much lower environmental impact than does raising the grain of the layer below it. Tis way of layering the sheets of
livestock since bugs are easier to harvest and require a wood makes plywood difficult to break.
fraction of the water and land space that cattle need. Indeed,
the high-protein, low-fat health benefits of bug-eating have According to the passage, the arrangement of the layers of
long been known. For hundreds of years, crickets, silkworms thin wood explains plywood’s
and even tarantulas have been served roasted, stewed and A. strength
fried at the dinner tables of many cultures. B. cost
C. attractiveness
Which words best describe the author’s attitude toward the D. flexibility
“edible insect initiative”?
A. awe and amazement
B. interest and support
C. disgust and distaste 8. The 1922 German Expressionist film Nosferatu, directed by
D. fear and apprehension F. W. Murnau, is considered one of the most influential films
in cinematic history—while also being a classic vampire
movie. Te film is closely based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel,
Dracula; however, the villain in the film is called “Count
5. Long thought to be a case of mistaken identity, the discovery Orlok” rather than “Count Dracula.” The reason is that
of the Bornean rainbow toad by European explorers in 1924 the small studio that produced the film, Prana Film, was
was recently verified by scientists. Te explorers had made a unable to secure the rights to Stoker’s novel. In fact, shortly
black-and-white sketch of an unusual toad they had found after finishing Nosferatu, its one and only film, Prana went
in the jungles of Southeast Asia, christening it the Bornean bankrupt in order to dodge copyright lawsuits from Stoker’s
rainbow toad. Skeptical but curious, scientists recently went widow.
to look for the toad—and ended up finding three specimens.
Why does the author say that the vampire in Nosferatu is
The passage implies which of the following about the named “Count Orlok” and not “Count Dracula”?
Bornean rainbow toad? A. To show that the makers of Nosferatu made minor
A. Some people doubted the existence of the toad. changes to Stoker’s novel
B. Scientists were confident that they would find the toad. B. To suggest that the characters in Nosferatu were based
C. Te surviving toads have been relocated to Europe. on real people instead of literary characters
D. No human being had seen the toad since 1924. C. To criticize Nosferatu for its differences from its source
D. To praise the makers of Nosferatu for their imagination
in recreating Stoker’s novel

© 2013 The College Board. Diagnostic and Placement Test Sample Questions
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