Egyptian Scholastic Test (EST) · EST Literacy
Reading Comprehension and Textual Evidence
72 practice questions, each with the answer and an explanation.
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Random questions from this topic, one at a time. You see the answer and the explanation straight after each one.
All 72 questions
- In academic reading passages, which rhetorical device involves presenting an opposing argument specifically to refute or qualify it?
- Read the sentence: 'The scholar's hypothesis was initially met with skepticism, but subsequent empirical findings served to CORROBORATE her original assertions.' What is the meaning of 'corroborate' i…
- Which transition word best indicates a logical relationship of contrast between two independent clauses?
- An author describes a scientific discovery by stating: 'While earlier models predicted linear growth, the collected sensor data revealed an exponential trajectory.' What is the primary purpose of this…
- In a passage analyzing urban planning, the author notes that 'walkable avenues bolster local commerce while reducing greenhouse emissions.' Which inference is most strongly supported?
- What tone is conveyed by the phrase: 'The research team rigorously documented every anomaly, ensuring that experimental confounding was systematically eliminated'?
- A historical passage describes an 18th-century reform movement as 'a watershed moment in parliamentary democracy.' What does the metaphor 'watershed moment' signify?
- When an author uses the word 'ostensibly' in the phrase 'the policy was ostensibly designed to lower consumer costs,' what does this suggest about the policy's real intention?
- Which of the following describes an author's primary line of reasoning in a persuasive text?
- A passage states: 'Although the new desalination technique requires substantial initial capital investment, its lifecycle operational expenditures are 40% lower than reverse osmosis.' What is the auth…
- In a literary passage, an author describes a barren winter landscape using words such as 'skeletal branches,' 'mute gray sky,' and 'frozen stillness.' What mood is primarily established?
- What is the function of a topic sentence at the beginning of a body paragraph in an expository essay?
- In textual analysis, what distinguishes a primary source from a secondary source?
- Read the sentence: 'The committee was reluctant to adopt an EPHEMERAL solution to a structural economic crisis.' What does 'ephemeral' mean?
- An author writes: 'To claim that automation solely eliminates jobs without generating new employment sectors is to ignore two centuries of industrial history.' What logical error in the opposing view…
- What is the primary rhetorical function of rhetorical questions in an argumentative essay?
- In a passage discussing renewable energy storage, the author asserts: 'Batteries are no longer the Achilles' heel of solar power.' What does the allusion 'Achilles' heel' mean?
- Read the excerpt: 'The archeologist's claims were initially dismissed as PERIPHERAL to the main inquiry, but subsequent excavations placed her discovery at the center of Bronze Age trade research.' Wh…
- Which feature of a scientific text most directly aids the reader in verifying the replicability of an experiment?
- In an analytical critique of a novel, the reviewer notes that 'the protagonist's hubris precipitates his tragic downfall.' What does 'hubris' mean?
- Which statement best explains why authors use qualifying words such as 'typically,' 'in most instances,' or 'evidence suggests' in academic writing?
- Read the sentence: 'The diplomat's TACIT consent was evident from her nod and silence during the draft agreement reading.' What is the meaning of 'tacit'?
- What is the term for a logical fallacy in which an arguer misrepresents an opponent's position in an exaggerated or distorted form to make it easier to attack?
- In a passage evaluating public transportation, the author writes: 'Investing in high-speed rail will breathe new vitality into declining regional economies.' What rhetorical device is being employed?
- What is the relationship between the two sentences: 'Urban heat islands raise summer temperatures in metropolitan areas by up to 5 degrees Celsius. AS A RESULT, municipal cooling centers and shade can…
- An author writes: 'The scientist remained IMPASSIVE even as the sensor array reported unprecedented anomalous readings.' What does 'impassive' reveal about the scientist's behavior?
- Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon and comma to join two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb?
- Choose the sentence that correctly resolves pronoun-antecedent agreement with a singular indefinite pronoun.
- Which sentence correctly places an introductory modifier to prevent ambiguity?
- Choose the sentence that demonstrates the most concise and non-redundant academic style.
- Identify the sentence that correctly uses the subjunctive mood in counterfactual conditional prose.
- Read the excerpt:
Reading aloud to young children does more than entertain them. It introduces new words, shows how stories are built and links books with the comfort of a familiar voice. Studies sug… - Read the excerpt:
Reading aloud to young children does more than entertain them. It introduces new words, shows how stories are built and links books with the comfort of a familiar voice. Studies sug… - Read the excerpt:
A new city park was opened last spring on land that used to be a car park. Designers planted more than two hundred trees, built a small pond for wildlife and added paths for walking… - Read the excerpt:
Camels are well adapted to desert life. Their wide, padded feet spread their weight on soft sand, long eyelashes and closable nostrils keep out blowing dust, and their humps store f… - Read the excerpt:
The Suez Canal links the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, so ships can travel between Europe and Asia without sailing around Africa. It opened in 1869 after ten years of construc… - Read the excerpt:
The ancient Library of Alexandria was part of a research institution where scholars studied mathematics, astronomy, medicine and literature. Rulers ordered that every ship entering… - Read the excerpt:
Solar power is growing quickly in the Middle East because the region receives strong sunshine for most of the year. A solar panel converts light directly into electricity, with no f… - Read the excerpt:
The ancient Library of Alexandria was part of a research institution where scholars studied mathematics, astronomy, medicine and literature. Rulers ordered that every ship entering… - Read the excerpt:
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu around 2560 BC. For almost four thousand years it was the tallest human-made structure in the world. Its builders… - Read the excerpt:
The Nile floods once a year in a natural cycle that ancient Egyptian farmers learned to read. When the water rose in summer it covered the fields, and when it fell it left behind a… - Read the excerpt:
Recycling one aluminium can saves about ninety-five percent of the energy needed to make a new one from raw ore. Even so, many cans still end up in landfill. Cities that provide sep… - Read the excerpt:
A new city park was opened last spring on land that used to be a car park. Designers planted more than two hundred trees, built a small pond for wildlife and added paths for walking… - Read the excerpt:
A cheetah can accelerate from rest to about one hundred kilometres per hour in only three seconds, which makes it the fastest land animal over short distances. But such speed is cos… - Read the excerpt:
The ancient Library of Alexandria was part of a research institution where scholars studied mathematics, astronomy, medicine and literature. Rulers ordered that every ship entering… - Read the excerpt:
The Suez Canal links the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, so ships can travel between Europe and Asia without sailing around Africa. It opened in 1869 after ten years of construc… - Read the excerpt:
A cheetah can accelerate from rest to about one hundred kilometres per hour in only three seconds, which makes it the fastest land animal over short distances. But such speed is cos… - Read the excerpt:
The Nile floods once a year in a natural cycle that ancient Egyptian farmers learned to read. When the water rose in summer it covered the fields, and when it fell it left behind a… - Read the excerpt:
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu around 2560 BC. For almost four thousand years it was the tallest human-made structure in the world. Its builders… - Read the excerpt:
Solar power is growing quickly in the Middle East because the region receives strong sunshine for most of the year. A solar panel converts light directly into electricity, with no f… - Read the excerpt:
Solar power is growing quickly in the Middle East because the region receives strong sunshine for most of the year. A solar panel converts light directly into electricity, with no f… - Read the excerpt:
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu around 2560 BC. For almost four thousand years it was the tallest human-made structure in the world. Its builders… - Read the excerpt:
The Suez Canal links the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, so ships can travel between Europe and Asia without sailing around Africa. It opened in 1869 after ten years of construc… - Read the excerpt:
A new city park was opened last spring on land that used to be a car park. Designers planted more than two hundred trees, built a small pond for wildlife and added paths for walking… - Read the excerpt:
Camels are well adapted to desert life. Their wide, padded feet spread their weight on soft sand, long eyelashes and closable nostrils keep out blowing dust, and their humps store f… - Read the excerpt:
Recycling one aluminium can saves about ninety-five percent of the energy needed to make a new one from raw ore. Even so, many cans still end up in landfill. Cities that provide sep… - Read the excerpt:
A cheetah can accelerate from rest to about one hundred kilometres per hour in only three seconds, which makes it the fastest land animal over short distances. But such speed is cos… - Read the excerpt:
Recycling one aluminium can saves about ninety-five percent of the energy needed to make a new one from raw ore. Even so, many cans still end up in landfill. Cities that provide sep… - Read the excerpt:
The Nile floods once a year in a natural cycle that ancient Egyptian farmers learned to read. When the water rose in summer it covered the fields, and when it fell it left behind a… - Read the excerpt:
Camels are well adapted to desert life. Their wide, padded feet spread their weight on soft sand, long eyelashes and closable nostrils keep out blowing dust, and their humps store f… - Read the excerpt:
Reading aloud to young children does more than entertain them. It introduces new words, shows how stories are built and links books with the comfort of a familiar voice. Studies sug… - Read the excerpt:
The Rosetta Stone was found in 1799 by French soldiers near the town of Rashid in the Nile Delta. It carries the same decree written three times: in hieroglyphs, in Demotic script a… - Read the excerpt:
The Rosetta Stone was found in 1799 by French soldiers near the town of Rashid in the Nile Delta. It carries the same decree written three times: in hieroglyphs, in Demotic script a… - Read the excerpt:
The Rosetta Stone was found in 1799 by French soldiers near the town of Rashid in the Nile Delta. It carries the same decree written three times: in hieroglyphs, in Demotic script a… - Read the excerpt:
Honeybees cannot talk, but they can share directions. A forager that has found a rich patch of flowers returns to the hive and performs a "waggle dance" on the honeycomb. The angle… - Read the excerpt:
Honeybees cannot talk, but they can share directions. A forager that has found a rich patch of flowers returns to the hive and performs a "waggle dance" on the honeycomb. The angle… - Read the excerpt:
Honeybees cannot talk, but they can share directions. A forager that has found a rich patch of flowers returns to the hive and performs a "waggle dance" on the honeycomb. The angle… - Read the excerpt:
Students often stay up late before an exam, believing that extra hours of study will help. Research suggests the opposite. During deep sleep the brain replays and strengthens what w… - Read the excerpt:
Students often stay up late before an exam, believing that extra hours of study will help. Research suggests the opposite. During deep sleep the brain replays and strengthens what w… - Read the excerpt:
Students often stay up late before an exam, believing that extra hours of study will help. Research suggests the opposite. During deep sleep the brain replays and strengthens what w… - Read the excerpt:
The date palm has been grown in Egypt for thousands of years, and the country is now one of the largest producers of dates in the world. The tree is valued for much more than its fr… - Read the excerpt:
The date palm has been grown in Egypt for thousands of years, and the country is now one of the largest producers of dates in the world. The tree is valued for much more than its fr…