PTE Reading Multiple Choice, Single Answer (MCSA)
1. Exam Basics
|
Item |
Details |
|
Reading section time |
29–35 minutes (official sources vary slightly) |
|
Total Reading questions |
15–20 |
|
MCSA question count |
1–2 per exam |
|
Passage length |
Up to 300 words |
|
Options |
4–5 choices |
|
Scoring |
1 point correct / 0 wrong / no
negative marking |
|
Reading weight |
~3% |
Critical point:
With only 1–2 questions, this task cannot "carry" your Reading score.
The high-weight tasks are Reading
& Writing Fill in the Blanks
and Re-order Paragraphs—save your time for those.
2. Target 50–60
Score Strategy
Band
50–60 means you need foundation-level
accuracy, not perfection.
Approach MCSA like this:
|
Strategy |
Reason |
|
Time limit: 60–90 seconds |
A 3%-weight task doesn't deserve 3 minutes |
|
Always guess if unsure |
No negative marking—blank = definite 0 |
|
Read the question FIRST |
Know what you're looking for before scanning the passage |
|
Don't read every word |
Scan for the relevant sentence, verify, move on |
Time trade-off:
Spending 4 minutes on one MCSA question means you lose 4 minutes that could be
used checking 2–3 Fill in the Blanks questions—which carry far more weight.
3. Five Core Tips
Tip
1: Read the Question Stem Before the Passage
This
is the opposite of school habits. Read the question, identify keywords (nouns,
names, concepts), then scan the passage for those keywords. This turns aimless
reading into targeted searching.
Tip
2: The Correct Answer Is Directly Supported, Not Inferred
PTE
MCSA answers are usually clearly
stated in one or two sentences.
If your reasoning chain looks like "if A, then B, so C might be
true"—you're overcomplicating it.
Tip
3: Watch for Absolute Language
Wrong
options love using "all,"
"always," "never," "proved." Academic passages rarely support absolute claims. If
the text says "results suggest" but the option says "the study
proved," the option is wrong.
Tip
4: Identify Four Common Distractor Types
|
Distractor Type |
Example |
|
Scope inflation |
Passage says a detail; option generalizes it to the main
idea |
|
One word changed |
Passage says "close to"; option says
"beyond" |
|
Absolute where text hedges |
Passage says "many"; option says "all" |
|
True outside but not in passage |
Sounds plausible in real life, but passage doesn't state it |
Tip
5: Original Words ≠ Correct Answer
Options
that repeat the exact words from the passage are just location clues, not answer signals. The test deliberately uses familiar vocabulary to
create a "looks right" illusion. Always check whether the full sentence meaning is supported.
4. Practice
Sample Sets (Target 50–60)
Sample
Set 1
Artificial
intelligence (AI) is transforming industries at an unprecedented pace. Machine
learning algorithms can now diagnose diseases from medical images with accuracy
rivalling experienced physicians, translate languages in real time, and drive
vehicles autonomously. However, these advances also raise serious ethical and
social questions. As AI automates routine cognitive tasks, millions of jobs in
sectors such as manufacturing, finance, and customer service may be displaced.
Critics also point to issues of algorithmic bias.
Q: According to the passage, what is one major social risk
associated with artificial intelligence?
A. The inability of AI to match human accuracy in medical diagnosis.
B. The displacement of jobs as AI automates routine tasks.
C. The excessive cost of AI research and development.
D. The failure of governments to invest in AI infrastructure.
Answer: B
Reason: The
question asks for a "social risk." The passage directly states
"millions of jobs... may be displaced." A contradicts the
text (accuracy "rivalling physicians"). C and D are never
mentioned.
Sample
Set 2
The
world's oceans absorb approximately 30 percent of the carbon dioxide released
into the atmosphere by human activities. While this has slowed the pace of
climate change, it has come at a significant cost: the chemical reaction
between CO₂ and seawater produces carbonic acid, making the oceans more acidic.
Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, ocean pH has decreased from
8.2 to 8.1 — a seemingly small change that actually represents a 26 percent
increase in acidity.
Q: What is the direct chemical cause of ocean acidification?
A. The absorption of methane gas by seawater.
B. The reaction between CO₂ and seawater producing carbonic acid.
C. A decrease in the ocean's salt concentration.
D. The industrial disposal of waste into the oceans.
Answer: B
Reason: The
question asks for the "direct chemical cause." The passage explicitly
states "the chemical reaction between CO₂ and seawater produces carbonic
acid." A (methane) and C (salt concentration) are not mentioned. D is too vague to
be the "direct chemical cause."
Sample
Set 3
According
to the United Nations, there are approximately 281 million international
migrants worldwide. Economic migrants often fill critical gaps in the labour
markets of receiving countries, particularly in sectors such as healthcare,
construction, and agriculture. Host countries frequently benefit from the
skills, entrepreneurship, and cultural diversity that migrants bring.
Q: According to the passage, what benefit do economic migrants
most commonly provide to host countries?
A. They reduce competition for skilled jobs among native workers.
B. They fill critical gaps in the labour market.
C. They increase the host country's rate of emigration.
D. They reduce the need for international cooperation.
Answer: B
Reason: The
passage directly says "fill critical gaps in the labour markets." A contradicts the
logic (migrants increase labour supply, not reduce competition). C and D are not
supported.
Sample
Set 4
When
a congested route is widened, journeys previously deterred by delay become
worthwhile again, and within a few years the new capacity fills. Studies of
urban motorway expansion have repeatedly found traffic growth close to the
additional capacity provided, which means the congestion problem returns after
the construction cost has already been paid. Public transport investment does
not work in the same way, because a fuller train remains a functioning train
whereas a fuller road becomes a slower one.
Q: What is the main point of the text?
A. Public transport is cheaper to build than roads.
B. Adding road capacity tends to be self-defeating in a way that public
transport investment is not.
C. Motorway expansion increases traffic beyond the capacity added.
D. Trains become slower as they become fuller.
Answer: B
Reason: The
passage's core argument is that road expansion creates new traffic that fills
the capacity ("self-defeating"), while public transport does not. A—cost comparison
never made. C—passage says "close to," not
"beyond." D—passage says the opposite.
Sample
Set 5
The
concept of the "attention economy" holds that human attention is a
scarce and valuable resource that digital platforms compete to capture and
monetise. Advertisers pay platforms not for clicks but for time spent — the
longer a user scrolls, the more advertising revenue is generated. Critics argue
that this economic model creates perverse incentives: platforms are rewarded
for maximising engagement at any cost, including through the amplification of emotionally
provocative, divisive, or misleading content.
Q: According to the passage, what is the central problem with
the attention economy model?
A. It makes digital platforms financially unsustainable.
B. It rewards platforms for maximising engagement regardless of content
quality.
C. It gives advertisers too much control over platform content.
D. It limits user freedom to choose what to watch online.
Answer: B
Reason: The passage states platforms are "rewarded for
maximising engagement at any cost, including... misleading content." A contradicts
(platforms are profitable). C and D shift the focus away from the passage's explicit
criticism.
10
New PTE Reading Multiple Choice, Single Answer Practice Sets
Target Score: 50–60
Answers are arranged in random alphabet order.
Set 1
Urban
green spaces are increasingly recognised as essential infrastructure rather
than mere decoration. Parks and street trees cool surrounding streets by
several degrees, absorb rainwater that would otherwise overwhelm drainage
systems, and provide measurable improvements in residents' mental health.
Cities that have invested heavily in green infrastructure report lower summer
energy costs and higher property values. Critics who dismiss such spending as a
luxury misunderstand the economics: the alternative is costly flood damage,
heat-related illness, and declining neighbourhoods.
Q:
What is the main argument of the passage?
- A. Green spaces are primarily a
way to raise property values.
- B. Green spaces should be
viewed as essential urban infrastructure, not a luxury.
- C. Cities should stop investing
in drainage systems.
- D. Mental health is the only
benefit of urban parks.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage's central claim is that green spaces are
"essential infrastructure rather than mere decoration." A is a
supporting detail, not the main argument. C is never stated—the passage
says trees absorb rainwater, not that drainage should be abandoned. D
uses "only," an absolute word; the passage lists multiple benefits.
Set 2
The
invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century did not immediately
transform European society. For several decades, printed books remained
expensive, and literacy was confined to a small elite. What the press did do
was make standardisation possible: identical copies of a text could now
circulate widely, allowing scholars in different countries to cite the same
page and argue about the same words. This shared reference point, rather than
mass readership, was the press's earliest and most profound effect.
Q:
According to the passage, what was the earliest major effect of the printing
press?
- A. It made books cheap enough
for most Europeans.
- B. It rapidly increased
literacy across Europe.
- C. It enabled standardised
texts that scholars could share and debate.
- D. It ended the influence of
the elite.
Answer:
C
Reason: The passage explicitly states "standardisation"
and "shared reference point" were the press's "earliest and most
profound effect." A and B are directly contradicted—books
remained expensive and literacy stayed with a small elite. D is not
supported; the elite's influence is described as ongoing.
Set 3
Sleep
researchers have long known that memory consolidation occurs during sleep, but
the mechanism remained unclear until recent imaging studies. These studies show
that during deep sleep, the hippocampus replays patterns of neural activity
recorded during the day, transferring them to the cortex for long-term storage.
Participants who were deprived of deep sleep performed significantly worse on
recall tasks the following day, even when total sleep time was held constant.
This suggests that the quality of sleep, specifically the amount of deep sleep,
matters more than sheer duration.
Q:
What did the imaging studies suggest about memory and sleep?
- A. Total sleep duration is the
key factor in memory recall.
- B. The amount of deep sleep
matters more than total sleep time.
- C. The hippocampus is inactive
during sleep.
- D. Sleep deprivation has no
measurable effect on memory.
Answer:
B
Reason: The final sentence states "the quality of sleep,
specifically the amount of deep sleep, matters more than sheer duration." A
is the opposite of the conclusion. C contradicts "the hippocampus
replays patterns." D contradicts the finding that deprived
participants "performed significantly worse."
Set 4
The
so-called "resource curse" describes a puzzling pattern: countries
abundant in oil, minerals, or gas often experience slower economic growth,
weaker institutions, and more conflict than resource-poor neighbours.
Explanations vary. Some economists emphasise that resource revenues allow
governments to tax citizens less, weakening the accountability that usually
accompanies taxation. Others point to currency effects that make manufacturing
exports uncompetitive. What most accounts share is the recognition that the
problem lies not in the resources themselves but in how their revenues are
managed.
Q:
What do most explanations of the resource curse have in common?
- A. They blame the physical
resources themselves.
- B. They argue that
manufacturing is always more profitable.
- C. They agree the problem lies
in revenue management, not the resources.
- D. They claim resource-rich
countries never develop.
Answer:
C
Reason: The passage states "the problem lies not in the
resources themselves but in how their revenues are managed." A is
explicitly rejected. B is not claimed—currency effects are one factor,
not a universal rule. D uses "never," an absolute the passage
does not support.
Set 5
Antibiotic
resistance is often described as a future crisis, but for some patients it is
already a present reality. Infections that were routinely treatable thirty
years ago now require last-resort drugs with severe side effects, and in a
small but growing number of cases, no effective treatment exists. The drivers
are well understood: overprescription in human medicine, routine use of
antibiotics in livestock, and poor sanitation in hospitals. What is less
understood is why coordinated global action has been so slow, given that the
scientific consensus has been stable for two decades.
Q:
What does the passage identify as insufficiently understood?
- A. The biological mechanism of
antibiotic resistance.
- B. Why global coordinated
action has been slow despite stable scientific consensus.
- C. Whether antibiotics are used
in livestock.
- D. Whether resistant infections
currently exist.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states "What is less understood is why
coordinated global action has been so slow." A contradicts
"the drivers are well understood." C is explicitly listed as a
known driver. D contradicts "it is already a present reality."
Set 6
Economists
once assumed that people make financial decisions by rationally weighing costs
and benefits. Behavioural research has undermined this assumption. Studies show
that people are disproportionately influenced by how options are presented,
that they value avoiding a loss more than achieving an equivalent gain, and
that they often follow the crowd rather than their own information. These
findings do not mean people are irrational; rather, they reveal that
decision-making relies on mental shortcuts that usually work well but can be
systematically exploited.
Q:
What is the passage's conclusion about human decision-making?
- A. People are fundamentally
irrational in all financial matters.
- B. People rely on mental
shortcuts that usually work but can be exploited.
- C. Costs and benefits are
irrelevant to financial decisions.
- D. Following the crowd always
leads to poor outcomes.
Answer:
B
Reason: The final sentence states decision-making "relies on
mental shortcuts that usually work well but can be systematically
exploited." A is explicitly rejected ("do not mean people are
irrational"). C overstates—rational weighing is undermined as a
complete explanation, not declared irrelevant. D uses
"always," which the passage does not claim.
Set 7
The
decline of local newspapers has consequences that extend beyond journalism.
Local papers historically performed a monitoring function: they attended
council meetings, reviewed planning applications, and reported on court
proceedings. Research in the United States has found that when local newspapers
close, municipal borrowing costs rise and fewer candidates contest local
elections. The mechanism appears to be that officials and candidates behave
differently when no one is watching. National media, focused on national
audiences, do not fill this gap.
Q:
According to the passage, what happens when local newspapers close?
- A. National media immediately
takes over local reporting.
- B. Municipal borrowing costs
rise and electoral competition declines.
- C. Council meetings become more
transparent.
- D. Court proceedings are
reported more thoroughly.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states "municipal borrowing costs rise
and fewer candidates contest local elections." A is directly
contradicted ("National media... do not fill this gap"). C and
D are the opposite of what a monitoring decline would produce.
Set 8
The
notion that humans use only ten percent of their brains is false, but its
persistence is instructive. The claim survives not because evidence supports it
but because it flatters a particular aspiration: that untapped potential lies
dormant, waiting to be unlocked. Neuroscience offers a less comfortable
picture. Most brain regions are active most of the time, and damage to almost
any area produces measurable impairment. The myth endures because it tells
people what they want to hear, not because it describes reality.
Q:
Why does the ten-percent myth persist, according to the passage?
- A. Because new evidence has
recently confirmed it.
- B. Because it appeals to a
desire for untapped potential.
- C. Because most brain regions
are inactive.
- D. Because brain damage has no
measurable effects.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states the claim survives "because it
flatters a particular aspiration: that untapped potential lies dormant." A
contradicts the myth being "false." C contradicts "most
brain regions are active most of the time." D contradicts
"damage to almost any area produces measurable impairment."
Set 9
Efforts
to restore degraded ecosystems often assume that returning a site to its
historical state is the goal. Ecologists increasingly question this. Climate
change means that the conditions under which a historical ecosystem formed may
no longer exist, so restoring the past may produce a community that cannot
survive the future. Some practitioners now aim instead for functional
restoration: ensuring that key processes such as pollination, nutrient cycling,
and water retention operate, even if the species composition differs from any
historical baseline.
Q:
What alternative to historical restoration does the passage describe?
- A. Abandoning restoration
efforts entirely.
- B. Functional restoration
focused on key ecological processes.
- C. Restoring only the species
that existed before industrialisation.
- D. Replacing native species
with agricultural crops.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage describes "functional restoration:
ensuring that key processes such as pollination, nutrient cycling, and water
retention operate." A is not suggested—practitioners aim for a
different goal, not no goal. C describes the historical approach being
questioned. D is never mentioned.
Set 10
The
claim that standardised testing measures nothing but test-taking ability is too
strong, but it contains a useful warning. Tests do predict later academic
performance, and the correlation is not trivial. However, the prediction is
weaker for students whose first language differs from the test language, for
those from low-income backgrounds, and for those who have had little exposure
to the test format. In these cases, the test may be measuring access to
preparation rather than underlying ability—a distinction with real consequences
for admissions decisions.
Q:
What warning does the passage draw from the critique of standardised testing?
- A. Standardised tests have no
predictive value whatsoever.
- B. Tests may measure access to
preparation rather than ability for some groups.
- C. Admissions decisions should
ignore test scores completely.
- D. Language background has no
effect on test performance.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states "the test may be measuring access
to preparation rather than underlying ability." A is explicitly
rejected ("too strong"; correlations are "not trivial"). C
goes beyond the passage, which raises a concern rather than prescribing
abolition. D contradicts the finding that prediction is "weaker for
students whose first language differs."
20 New PTE Reading Multiple Choice,
Single Answer Practice Sets
Set 1
Coral
reefs support roughly a quarter of all marine species despite covering less
than one percent of the ocean floor. Their decline is driven by rising sea
temperatures, ocean acidification, and local pollution. Scientists have found
that reefs with high biodiversity recover faster from bleaching events than
those with few species. This suggests that protecting biodiversity is not
merely an aesthetic concern but a practical strategy for reef survival.
Q:
Why does the passage suggest protecting biodiversity is important?
- A. Because diverse reefs are
more attractive to tourists.
- B. Because biodiversity slows
ocean acidification.
- C. Because reefs with high
biodiversity recover faster from bleaching.
- D. Because coral reefs cover
most of the ocean floor.
Answer:
C
Reason: The passage states "reefs with high biodiversity
recover faster from bleaching events." A is not mentioned. B
confuses cause and effect—acidification is a threat, not something biodiversity
slows. D contradicts "less than one percent."
Set 2
The
idea that creativity belongs only to artists is a modern misconception.
Historians of science note that major breakthroughs often emerged from
individuals who combined knowledge across fields. Darwin drew on geology and
economics; Pasteur moved between chemistry and biology. What these figures
shared was not a single talent but a habit of connecting disparate ideas.
Creativity, in this view, is less a gift than a practice.
Q:
What does the passage say creative figures like Darwin and Pasteur had in
common?
- A. They were formally trained
as artists.
- B. They worked in a single
discipline throughout their lives.
- C. They avoided collaboration
with others.
- D. They habitually connected ideas
from different fields.
Answer:
D
Reason: The passage states they shared "a habit of connecting
disparate ideas." A is not mentioned. B contradicts their
cross-field work. C is unsupported.
Set 3
Urban
cycling has grown rapidly in cities that built protected lanes, but has stalled
where lanes are merely painted. The distinction matters because painted lanes
offer no physical barrier, and surveys consistently show that safety concerns
are the primary reason people avoid cycling. Where protected infrastructure
exists, cyclist numbers rise sharply within two years. Infrastructure, not
exhortation, appears to determine behaviour.
Q:
What determines whether urban cycling grows, according to the passage?
- A. Public awareness campaigns.
- B. The presence of protected,
physically separated lanes.
- C. The cost of bicycles.
- D. The number of painted lanes.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states cycling "stalled where lanes are
merely painted" and grew where "protected infrastructure
exists." A is dismissed ("Infrastructure, not
exhortation"). C is not mentioned. D contradicts the
finding.
Set 4
The
1918 influenza pandemic killed more people than the First World War, yet it is
comparatively absent from public memory. Historians suggest several reasons: it
overlapped with a war that dominated headlines, its victims were often young
and healthy rather than the elderly, and wartime censorship suppressed
reporting. The forgetting itself is significant, because it shapes how
societies prepare—or fail to prepare—for future pandemics.
Q:
Why is the forgetting of the 1918 pandemic significant, according to the
passage?
- A. It proves that pandemics are
no longer a threat.
- B. It shows that historians
disagree about the death toll.
- C. It affects how societies
prepare for future pandemics.
- D. It explains why the First
World War is forgotten.
Answer:
C
Reason: The passage states "it shapes how societies
prepare—or fail to prepare—for future pandemics." A is contradicted
by the concern about future pandemics. B is not mentioned. D
reverses the relationship.
Set 5
Microfinance
was promoted as a way to lift poor households out of poverty by providing small
loans to people excluded from formal banking. Early evaluations were
encouraging. More rigorous randomised studies, however, found modest average
effects on income and consumption, though some individuals benefited
substantially. The lesson is not that microfinance fails, but that its impact
is uneven and depends heavily on local context.
Q:
What did randomised studies find about microfinance?
- A. It had no effect on any
borrower.
- B. It uniformly eliminated
poverty.
- C. It produced modest average
effects with substantial variation.
- D. It was worse than formal
banking.
Answer:
C
Reason: The passage states studies "found modest average
effects... though some individuals benefited substantially." A uses
"no effect," which is too absolute. B contradicts "modest
average effects." D is not claimed.
Set 6
Bees
are widely known for pollination, but their role in ecosystems extends further.
Wild bees maintain plant diversity by pollinating species that commercial
honeybees ignore. When wild bee populations decline, certain plants fail to
reproduce, which in turn reduces food and habitat for birds and insects. The
loss therefore cascades through the food web rather than remaining a narrow
agricultural problem.
Q:
What does the passage say happens when wild bee populations decline?
- A. Commercial honeybees
immediately replace them.
- B. Certain plants fail to
reproduce, affecting birds and insects.
- C. Plant diversity increases.
- D. The food web remains
unaffected.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states "certain plants fail to reproduce,
which in turn reduces food and habitat for birds and insects." A is
not stated. C is the opposite. D contradicts "cascades
through the food web."
Set 7
The
claim that we are living in an age of unprecedented information overload is
historically naive. Each major communication technology—printing, telegraph,
radio, television—provoked similar complaints. What differs today is not the
volume of information but the speed of its circulation and the precision with
which it can be targeted. The problem is not overload itself but the difficulty
of verifying what spreads fastest.
Q:
What does the passage identify as genuinely different today?
- A. The total volume of
information available.
- B. The existence of information
overload.
- C. The speed and targeting of
information circulation.
- D. The absence of public
complaints about media.
Answer:
C
Reason: The passage states "What differs today is not the
volume... but the speed of its circulation and the precision with which it can
be targeted." A is explicitly rejected as the difference. B
is described as historically recurrent. D contradicts the history of
complaints.
Set 8
Rewilding
projects that reintroduce large predators often face fierce local opposition.
Yet studies from Yellowstone and elsewhere show that predator return can
restore vegetation, stabilise riverbanks, and increase bird populations.
Opposition typically eases once these effects become visible. The lesson for
conservationists is that demonstrable local benefits, not abstract ecological
arguments, shift public opinion.
Q:
What lesson does the passage draw for conservationists?
- A. Predators should never be
reintroduced near human settlements.
- B. Abstract ecological
arguments are the most persuasive.
- C. Public opposition to
rewilding never decreases.
- D. Demonstrable local benefits
shift public opinion more effectively.
Answer:
D
Reason: The passage states "demonstrable local benefits, not
abstract ecological arguments, shift public opinion." A is not
claimed. B reverses the finding. C contradicts "Opposition
typically eases."
Set 9
The
notion of a "digital native" generation has been widely adopted in
education, but research offers little support. Studies find that young people's
familiarity with social media does not transfer to skills such as evaluating
sources, managing files, or using spreadsheets. Assuming competence because of
age can leave students without instruction in skills they genuinely lack.
Q:
What does research suggest about the "digital native" concept?
- A. Young people are uniformly
skilled with all digital tools.
- B. Familiarity with social
media does not transfer to other digital skills.
- C. Digital natives require no
instruction of any kind.
- D. Spreadsheet skills are more
important than source evaluation.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states familiarity with social media
"does not transfer to skills such as evaluating sources." A
contradicts the research. C is the assumption the passage warns against.
D is not claimed.
Set 10
Vaccine
hesitancy is often framed as a failure of public understanding, but studies
suggest it is better explained by trust. People who distrust institutions,
whether for historical or personal reasons, are less likely to accept vaccines
regardless of how clearly the evidence is presented. This means that simply
repeating facts may be ineffective; rebuilding trust requires engagement with
the specific concerns of communities.
Q:
How does the passage suggest vaccine hesitancy is best explained?
- A. As a simple failure to
understand scientific facts.
- B. As a result of insufficient
government funding.
- C. As a consequence of distrust
in institutions.
- D. As a problem limited to a
single country.
Answer:
C
Reason: The passage states hesitancy "is better explained by
trust." A is explicitly rejected ("often framed as a failure
of public understanding"). B is not mentioned. D is
unsupported.
Set 11
Translation
is sometimes described as a mechanical transfer of meaning from one language to
another, but the process is rarely so simple. Words carry connotations, idioms
resist literal rendering, and cultural references may have no equivalent.
Skilled translators therefore make choices—what to preserve, what to adapt,
what to explain—and these choices shape how readers understand a text.
Translation is thus an act of interpretation, not transcription.
Q:
What is the passage's main claim about translation?
- A. It is a mechanical and
straightforward process.
- B. It is an act of
interpretation involving deliberate choices.
- C. It should always preserve
literal meaning.
- D. Cultural references can
always be translated directly.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage concludes "Translation is thus an act of
interpretation, not transcription." A is the view being challenged.
C contradicts the description of translators adapting and explaining. D
contradicts "may have no equivalent."
Set 12
The
transition to remote work has produced unexpected effects on city economies.
Office districts that depended on weekday commuters have seen sharp declines in
lunchtime spending, while residential neighbourhoods have seen increases. The
shift is not merely spatial but temporal: spending patterns have reoriented
around home rather than workplace. Cities that adapt their transport and zoning
policies fastest may recover most quickly.
Q:
What does the passage say about the effects of remote work on city economies?
- A. Spending has declined
everywhere equally.
- B. Office districts and
residential areas have experienced different spending shifts.
- C. Remote work has had no
measurable economic effect.
- D. Transport policy is
irrelevant to recovery.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states office districts saw "sharp
declines" while residential neighbourhoods "have seen
increases." A contradicts this contrast. C contradicts the
described effects. D contradicts "Cities that adapt their transport
and zoning policies fastest may recover most quickly."
Set 13
The
idea that humans are naturally competitive and that cooperation is a thin
cultural veneer has been challenged by evidence from both anthropology and
biology. Cooperative behaviour appears in many species, and human infants show
early helping tendencies before socialisation could explain them. This does not
mean conflict is absent, but it suggests cooperation has deep roots rather than
being a recent invention.
Q:
What does the evidence cited in the passage suggest?
- A. Humans are purely
competitive by nature.
- B. Cooperation has deep
biological and developmental roots.
- C. Cooperation is a recent
cultural invention.
- D. Infants are socialised into
helping behaviour.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states "cooperation has deep roots rather
than being a recent invention." A is the view being challenged. C
is explicitly rejected. D contradicts "before socialisation could
explain them."
Set 14
Remote
sensing satellites have transformed archaeology by revealing structures
invisible from the ground. In several regions, surveys have identified ancient
roads, field systems, and settlements without excavation. This has two
consequences: it expands the scale of what can be studied, and it raises
ethical questions about whether sites should be mapped at all, since publishing
their locations may expose them to looting.
Q:
What ethical concern does the passage raise about remote sensing in
archaeology?
- A. Satellites are too expensive
for most researchers.
- B. Publishing site locations
may expose them to looting.
- C. Excavation is always
preferable to remote mapping.
- D. Remote sensing produces no
useful data.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states "publishing their locations may
expose them to looting." A is not mentioned. C is not
claimed. D contradicts the described benefits.
Set 15
The
claim that reading fiction makes people more empathetic is intuitively
appealing and widely repeated. Experimental results, however, are mixed. Some
studies find short-term increases in empathy after reading literary fiction,
while others find no effect or effects that disappear when different measures
are used. The most defensible conclusion is that the relationship is plausible
but not yet firmly established.
Q:
What is the most defensible conclusion about fiction and empathy, according to
the passage?
- A. Reading fiction definitively
increases empathy.
- B. Reading fiction has no
relationship with empathy.
- C. The relationship is
plausible but not yet firmly established.
- D. Only literary fiction
affects empathy.
Answer:
C
Reason: The passage states "the relationship is plausible but
not yet firmly established." A overstates the evidence given the
"mixed" results. B is too absolute. D is not supported.
Set 16
Ancient
Rome's concrete has puzzled engineers because structures built with it have
survived two millennia while modern concrete often deteriorates within decades.
Analysis has revealed that seawater reacting with volcanic ash created rare
minerals that strengthened the material over time. The implication is not that
Roman methods can simply be copied, but that durability may be achievable
through chemistry that improves with age.
Q:
What does the passage say about Roman concrete?
- A. It deteriorates faster than
modern concrete.
- B. Its durability may result
from minerals that strengthen it over time.
- C. It was made without volcanic
ash.
- D. Roman methods can be
directly copied today.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states seawater and volcanic ash "created
rare minerals that strengthened the material over time." A
contradicts its survival for two millennia. C contradicts the role of
volcanic ash. D contradicts "not that Roman methods can simply be
copied."
Set 17
Universal
basic income (UBI) trials have produced results that satisfy neither strong
supporters nor strong opponents. Recipients generally worked somewhat less, but
not dramatically so, and reported improved wellbeing and reduced financial
stress. Costs remained the central obstacle, since funding a meaningful UBI
requires either large tax increases or cuts to existing programmes. The
evidence suggests UBI is feasible but not a simple solution.
Q:
What do UBI trials suggest, according to the passage?
- A. Recipients stopped working
entirely.
- B. UBI is feasible but not a
simple solution.
- C. Financial stress increased
among recipients.
- D. Funding is not a significant
obstacle.
Answer:
B
Reason: The passage states "UBI is feasible but not a simple
solution." A contradicts "worked somewhat less, but not
dramatically so." C contradicts "reduced financial
stress." D contradicts "Costs remained the central
obstacle."
Set 18
Museums
increasingly face demands to return artefacts acquired during colonial periods.
Defenders of retention argue that some objects are safer and more accessible in
large institutions. Critics respond that accessibility is meaningless if the
objects were removed without consent, and that source communities have both the
right and the capacity to care for their heritage. The debate is less about
preservation than about who has the authority to decide.
Q:
What does the passage identify as the core of the repatriation debate?
- A. Whether artefacts can be
physically preserved.
- B. Whether museums have enough
storage space.
- C. Who has the authority to
decide about artefacts.
- D. Whether colonial history
occurred.
Answer:
C
Reason: The passage states "The debate is less about
preservation than about who has the authority to decide." A is
explicitly downplayed. B is not mentioned. D is not in question.
Set 19
The
assumption that longer schooling automatically improves outcomes has been
complicated by evidence from several countries. Where additional years were
added without changes to teaching quality or curriculum, gains in learning were
small. Where reforms improved instruction alongside duration, gains were
substantial. Time in school matters, but only when it is used well.
Q:
What does the evidence suggest about longer schooling?
- A. It always improves learning
outcomes.
- B. It has no effect under any
circumstances.
- C. Its benefits depend on
improvements in teaching quality.
- D. Curriculum changes are
irrelevant to outcomes.
Answer:
C
Reason: The passage states gains were "substantial"
where "reforms improved instruction alongside duration." A
contradicts the finding of small gains in some cases. B is too absolute.
D contradicts the role of curriculum changes.
Set 20
The
rapid expansion of online shopping has reduced the number of physical stores in
many city centres, but the effects are uneven. Some high streets have adapted
by becoming centres for services, dining, and leisure, while others have
declined. Policy responses that treat all high streets identically tend to
fail; successful interventions are tailored to local demand and existing
strengths.
Q:
What does the passage say about policy responses to high street decline?
- A. Uniform policies tend to
fail; tailored approaches work better.
- B. All high streets have
declined equally.
- C. Online shopping has had no
effect on physical stores.
- D. Services and dining cannot
replace retail.
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