Practice Test—Reading Comprehension

Directions: Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that accompany the paragraphs. Choose the letter of the answer which you believe most accurately satisfies the requirements of each question. At the end of this reading test is the answer key.

A
Grass, the most stepped-on organism on earth, creates more energy than an atomic bomb—just 700 acres of grass gathers from sunlight in one day as much energy as that of the standard atomic bomb or 20,000 tons of TNT. Grass is more valuable than gold and as vital to us as air and sunshine. As a tool against floods, grass is 10,000 times more effective than all the dams built by man.

1. Based on paragraph A, which statement is true?
    A. Grass is more vital to us than air and sunshine.
    B. Only an atomic bomb creates more energy than grass.
    C. A standard atomic bomb is equal to 20,000 tons of TNT.
    D. Electric power dams are more powerful than grass against flooding.

B
Grasses are simple in structure, consisting of one stem and one leaf on each joint. Few people know that grasses have flowers. Since they are wind-pollinated, their flowers need no color or fragrance to attract insects.

2. Identify the purpose of paragraph B.
    A. Describe the physical characteristics of grass.
    B. Reveal that grasses are little understood by most people.
    C. Reveal that grasses do not need insects in their life cycle.
    D. Emphasize that grasses need no color or scent to pollinate.

C
These cultivated grasses are the basic foods of man. The Mediterranean culture was based on wheat, the Indo-Chinese on rice, the original American culture on corn.

3. An inference drawn from paragraph C:
    A. Three basic grasses feed most of the world.
    B. Northern Europe sought corn as a food group.
    C. The original American culture ate bread similar to the Chinese.
    D. Indo-Chinese ate bread from the same grasses as Mediterranean peoples.

D
Owls are rightly known as "lords of the night." Their whole structure is designed around the fact that they must live successfully in the dark, and to this end they have been endowed with some of the most marvelous animal engineering known. With eyesight 100 times as acute as human sight, they can detect an image in the faintest glimmer of light, avoid tree branches and other obstacles and capture the most rapid of darting prey. (At least one kind of owl can capture prey when the light is the equivalent of that thrown by an ordinary candle burning 2,582 feet away!) Their hearing is so acute that they can pinpoint a sound in total darkness. Their powerful claws are set in such a way as to clinch automatically on prey they may not be able to see.

4. The best statement of main idea for paragraph D?
    A. Owls see in the dark.
    B. Owls are adapted to survive in the dark.
    C. The sight of an owl is 100 times as acute as human sight.
    D. The hearing of an owl is so acute that it can pinpoint a sound in total darkness.

E
During the day, when their specialized gifts are of little value, most owls doze in their roosts or sun themselves on tree branches. Lethargic, they sometimes become open sport for crows and jays, which mob them unmercifully. But so expert is the owl's concealment that he is rarely found.

5. Which is an inference drawn from paragraph E?
    A. Crows and jays mob owls unmercifully.
    B. The owl probably does not hunt during the day.
    C. The owl is rarely found due to its expert concealment.
    D. "Lethargic" implies that the owl is slow of movement and alertness.

F
Whereas human eyes have both cone cells (which help us to discriminate colors) and rod cells (for light-gathering), the owl's eye is packed tight with rod cells only. These contain a remarkable chemical known as "visual purple," which converts even a glimmer of light into a chemical signal, giving the bird an actual sight impression when a human being would see only the presence of light.

6. An inference that can be drawn from paragraph F:
    A. Visual purple is a chemical found in the eye of the owl.
    B.  Visual purple converts even a glimmer of light into a chemical signal.
    C. A sight impression gives more information than detecting the presence of light.
    D.  Human eyes have both cone cells and rod cells. The owl's eye is packed tight with rod cells only.

Rationales for Practice Test
(Correct responses highlighted in BOLD.)

1. A is a poor choice. It states that grass is as vital to us as air and sunshine, not "more than."
    B is a weak answer because the paragraph states "grass ... creates more energy than an atomic bomb."
    C is the best answer because the paragraph states "... as much energy as a standard atomic bomb or 20,000 tons of TNT."
    D declares just the opposite, that dams are not as powerful as grass in restraining floods.
    Type of Question: Inference

2. A is the best answer because the primary information given in the paragraph is the physical characteristics of grass.
    B lists just one detail among many others presented.
    C is just one detail among many others presented.
    D lists just two details presented among others which were not included in option B.
    Type of Question: Purpose

3. A includes both the concept of world cultures and that they are fed by three basic grasses.
    B is not a true statement, based on the paragraph, because the paragraph says that Northern European cultures would have shared wheat, not corn, as a common grass.
    C is not a true statement based on the paragraph which states that the original American culture ate corn, not the rice of the Chinese.
    D is not a true statement based on the paragraph which declares that Indo-Chinese ate rice and the Mediterranean peoples ate wheat.
    Type of Question: Inference

4. A is false. The paragraph does not say that owls truly see in the dark. The paragraph explains that they need very little light to see, but they do need at least one candle at 2,582 feet.
    B is a true statement of main idea because the statement summarizes a number of examples of how the owl is adapted to survive during the food gathering process in the near dark or dark environment.
    C is a true statement, but just one example of how an owl is adapted for the dark.
    D is a true statement, but just one example of how an owl is adapted for the dark.
    Type of Question: Main Idea

5. A is practically a word for word statement from the paragraph, not an inference.
    B is not an inference that can be drawn from the paragraph. The paragraph says their specialized gifts are of little value to them during the day, and that they "doze" in their nests. It can be inferred, then, that they are not actively hunting.
    C is not an inference, but clearly stated in the paragraph.
    D is not an inference. The accuracy of this statement depends upon a dictionary understanding of a vocabulary word, not a meaning that can be inferred, accurately, from the context. Therefore answer C is a definition statement, not an "inference drawn from paragraph E."

6. A is a true detail from the paragraph, but not a conclusion drawn from details. It is simply a restatement of a detail or given fact.
    B is a true detail from the paragraph, but not a conclusion drawn from details, simply a restatement of a detail or given fact.
    C is a true inference from the paragraph. "Presence of light" does not mean an object is detected, only that light, itself, is perceived. "A sight impression" implies that an object is detected. Therefore, the sight impression would give more information.
    D contains true statements and details from the paragraph. However, neither requires the reader to draw a conclusion or make an inference.
    Type of Question: Inference

Practice Test–Mathematics

     The HOBET will give you one (1) minute per question to complete this section. Time yourself, but attempt all the problems. The problems begin with basic addition and subtraction of whole numbers and proceed through basic algebra. Work quickly, but carefully.
1.       371
       +614
 

    A.  886
    B.  986
    C.  985
    D.  885

2.   7,538
   – 2,417
 

    A.  4,021
    B.  5,021
    C.  4,121
    D.  5,121

3.      523
        x 63
 

    A.  31,949
    B.  32,949
    C.  32,849
    D.  31,849

4.     56 )14,448   (Square Root Problem)
 

    A.  367
    B.  267
    C.  358
    D.  258

5.      68
       1000 as a decimal
 

    A.  6.8
    B.  0.068
    C.  0.68
    D.  0.0068
 
6.  .23 + 1.5 + .002
 

    A.  1.75
    B.  1.732
    C.  1.352
    D.  1.372

7.  .17 x .23
 

    A.   .0391
    B.   .391
    C.    391
    D.    3.91

8.   2 1/2 x 3 1/3 x 1 1/5
 

    A.   6 1/6
    B.   6 1/30
    C.   6 1/5
    D.   10

9.  .3% of 60
 

    A.   20
    B.   1.8
    C.   18
    D.  .18

10.   4/5  as a percentage
 

    A.  2%
    B.  .08%
    C.  80%
    D.  8%

11.  12:30 as a percentage
 

    A.  2.5%
    B.  250%
    C.  .25%
    D.  40%

12.    (x² + 3x) - (x² + 2x + 3)
 

    A.  x - 3
    B.  2x2 + 5x + 3
    C.  5x + 3
    D.  x + 3

13.   5m + 8 = 3(m + 4)
 

    A.  m=-2
    B.  m=4
    C.  m=3
    D.  m=2

14.  Thousandth's place in .1245
 

    A.  1
    B.   4
    C.   2
    D. 5

 
Rationales and Answers for Practice Test—Mathematics

    Note the problem number in this answer key when you have incorrectly solved a math problem.
    The order of math problems in this test is by skill difficulty, just as they are on the HOBET. Therefore, problem #1 is more basic to your success with math than problem #60. However, mastery of all these skills are very important if you are to manipulate formulas in college.
    Go back to the problems that you missed and try to analyze where your solution became incorrect.
    Next, turn to Practice Test B and complete that practice test.

Question        Correct              Skill
Number         Answer             Evaluated

1                     C                     Carrying thru zero in addition of whole numbers.
2                     D                     Basic number facts in subtraction of whole numbers.
3                     B                     Basic multiplication facts in double digit multiplication of whole numbers.
4                     D                     Long division of whole numbers.
5                     B                     Translating a common fraction into a decimal.
6                     B                     Placing the decimal point in addition.
7                     A                     Placing the decimal point in multiplication.
8                     D                     Multiplication of common fractions and mixed fractions and whole numbers.
9                     D                     Determining the fractional percentage of a number.
10                   C                     Converting a common fraction to a percentage.
11                   D                     Converting a ratio to a percentage.
12                   A                     Removing parenthesis and collecting similar terms (algebraic subtraction).
13                   D                     Solving for one unknown through parenthesis removal and
                                              followed by the use of addition and subtraction and division axioms.
14                   B                     "Place value" of digits in decimals.