These questions require students to evaluate how ideas, claims, and evidence are connected within the passage. They test the ability to understand the author's line of reasoning, assess how different parts of the text work together, and identify relationships between ideas.
To answer correctly, students must analyze the logical flow of the passage and select the option that best strengthens, clarifies, or maintains the coherence of the author’s argument. These questions often ask students to choose the sentence or detail that best completes the writer’s goal in a specific part of the text.
The following text is from a memoir by an early 20th-century explorer:
When we set out across the frozen expanse, we were under no illusion that success was guaranteed. In fact, more than a few among us expected failure, and perhaps even welcomed it, as proof of our daring spirit. For what is courage, if not the willingness to pursue uncertain ends, to step beyond the known into landscapes that chill not just the body but the very core of resolve? Such risks define those who accept them, and we embraced this truth from the very first step.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the explorer's view of the expedition?
A) Although the journey was dangerous, the explorers were certain they would succeed.
B) The explorers believed that embracing risk was foolish but necessary for fame.
C) The value of the expedition lay not only in success but in the courage required to undertake it.
D) The expedition’s primary purpose was to advance scientific knowledge rather than personal achievement.
The following text is from a novel about a woman reflecting on her career as an artist:
Many told me to abandon painting, to find a pursuit more fitting for a woman of my station. Yet I found no satisfaction in embroidery or social visits. My canvases, crowded with storms and shadows, spoke more truly of my heart than any polite conversation ever could. I painted not for approval, but because not to paint would be to silence a part of myself I could not bear to quiet.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the woman’s approach to her art?
A) She paints because it expresses her inner feelings more authentically than conventional activities.
B) She fears that abandoning art would result in social isolation.
C) She uses painting as a means to gain recognition among her peers.
D) She values polite conversation but considers painting a temporary escape.
The following text is from an essay discussing human perception:
It is tempting to think that what we see is all there is, yet our senses deceive us at every turn. Consider the mirage shimmering on a hot road, or the way familiar objects grow strange in dim light. Our perception is not a mirror but a canvas, upon which the mind paints its interpretations. To understand this is to begin to see not with the eyes alone, but with the mind sharpened by awareness.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the nature of human perception?
A) Perception accurately reflects the external world in most circumstances.
B) Perception improves when one focuses primarily on visual details.
C) The mind should not interfere with what the senses report.
D) Perception involves interpretation, and recognizing this deepens understanding.
The following text is from an essay on scientific discovery:
The moment the new planet’s existence was confirmed, celebration filled the observatory. Yet it was not the planet itself that drew such excitement, but rather the mystery its orbit presented. Deviating from predicted paths, it defied current understanding and demanded explanation. Discovery, it seems, is most exhilarating not when it answers our questions, but when it poses new ones.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the scientists’ response to their discovery?
A) They were disappointed that the discovery raised more questions than it answered.
B) They found the discovery exciting because it challenged existing knowledge.
C) They believed the discovery would have little impact on scientific theories.
D) They expected that similar discoveries would quickly follow.
The following text is from a speech by a leader during a time of national recovery:
We have stood at the edge of despair and looked into the abyss. We have known hunger, cold, and fear. But we did not falter. We did not fall. We held fast to the hope that brighter days would come, and now that hope begins to dawn. Let us step forward together into the light, building not only our homes but our hearts anew.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the leader’s view of the nation's experience?
A) The nation has fully recovered from its struggles.
B) The leader believes the nation avoided hardship altogether.
C) Endurance through hardship has led to the beginning of renewal.
D) The leader worries that recovery will not last.
Answers:
1) C) The value of the expedition lay not only in success but in the courage required to undertake it.
Explanation:
The explorer acknowledges that success was uncertain but focuses on the bravery involved in taking the journey despite the risks. The emphasis is on the courage to pursue "uncertain ends," not just on achieving success.
2) A) She paints because it expresses her inner feelings more authentically than conventional activities.
Explanation:
The narrator rejects traditional activities like embroidery or social visits and says her paintings express her heart more truly than conversation. This points to A as the correct choice.
3) D) Perception involves interpretation, and recognizing this deepens understanding.
Explanation:
The essay explains that our perception is not a mirror but a "canvas" that the mind interprets. Recognizing this helps us "see not with the eyes alone, but with the mind." This clearly supports D.
4) B) They found the discovery exciting because it challenged existing knowledge.
Explanation:
The scientists are excited not about confirming expectations but because the planet’s orbit "defied current understanding" and demanded new explanations.
5) C) Endurance through hardship has led to the beginning of renewal.
Explanation:
The leader describes hardship ("hunger, cold, and fear") but emphasizes that "hope begins to dawn," meaning recovery is starting.
