CBEST Practice Test: Reading (Version 1)

Which of the following most aptly summarizes the author's position on inexperienced writers who want to break rhetorical rules for purposes of style?

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

Which phrase most clearly expresses an opinion rather than a fact?

"an improvement " (9)

Which of the following phrases best expresses an opinion rather than a fact?

"engineers must be concerned"

Based on the figures cited in the passage, which southern slave population represented the greatest jump in percentage over the previous slave population cited?

220,000

According to the information in the passage, which of the following would not constitute a form of acceleration?

A bird which flies at 35 mph above a straight lane of highway, exceeding the slowed traffic below by 25mph.

Which of the following is closest to the meaning of a concession to the European sweet tooth, as it is used in the passage?

A concession to Europeans and their preference for sweet flavors.

According to the information presented in the passage, which of these steps had to be taken first?

A location opposite the sniper had to be selected to place the parapet and dummy-head.

Which of the following best describes the writer's pattern of organization in the above passage?

Anecdotal detail which leads to an inciting event.

Which of the following best describes how the author organizes his main argument?

By identifying a distinction in storytelling, and then elaborating one's merits over the other's weaknesses

A reader wants to find examples of deception among animals, and the biological origins of disguise. They could probably find this information in

Chapter IV

Based on the information in this passage, the author most likely believes that "the masters of literature"

Derive some of their talents from knowledge of rhetorical rules and their skilful ability to write outside of them.

The idea that fuel economy can be increased by over-inflating tires to the point of decreasing rolling resistance is _______.

Discussed by the author, but warned against for reasons of safety.

The author's intended audience would most likely include

Experienced mariners who could encounter sea ice in their work.

he tone of this piece is best described as:

Expository, with narrative detail.

Which of the following is a persuasive technique used in the passage?

Giving a real-life example of an abstract idea.

From the information above, it is possible to conclude which of the following about the author?

He could understand certain terms in shipping without being able to spell them out.

As used in the passage, what is the best meaning of the word "augmented?"

Increased

How does sentence 11 function within the overall logic of the author's argument?

It clarifies the qualities of the author's 'perfection' by differentiating it from a more common definition.

Which of the following is the best summary of the author's viewpoint on slavery's role in the 18th century American South?

It was common, but not ubiquitous prior to the explosion of cotton as a staple cash crop for export.

Which quote, if added as its own paragraph in the space between paragraph 2 and 3 [_______], would be most consistent with the logical flow of the writer's argument?

It's going into other sectors," Head told me in a recent conversation; "For instance, truck sales are down."

According to the information presented in the passage, which event takes place first?

John Head's clients took out mortgage loans they wouldn't be able to afford.

An appropriate title for this passage would be:

Mirroring the Shot: A Spotting Technique For Snipers

Which of the following assumptions most influences the author's argument?

Most consumers would rather perform simple maintenance to save money than save time by avoiding such maintenance procedures

If an expanded and cross-referenced index were to be written for the example above, what two entries could be correctly crossed-referenced?

Mr. Lewes, on species not changing in Egypt / Species in Egypt, writings of Mr. Lewes.

Which of the following best summarizes the author's pattern of organization of his passage?

One method of preparation is explained, and altered preparation is subsequently explained.

Based on the information contained in the selection, which of the following best describes the difference between mercantile economy and political economy?

One utilizes power over the labor of others, and one is limited to the production of that which is useful.

Based on the information presented in the passage, it is likely that a person who had unintentionally over-inflated their tires 5% more than the recommended amount would:

Possibly suffer decreased grip and a lower life-span on their tires.

Which of the following phrases best encapsulates the main idea of the passage above?

Real property is of little use... unless he has power over labor."

The writer's main purpose in this passage is to:

Recognize the connection between two teachers' efforts and surprising test results at an elementary school

Which of the following information could be found both in the book's index and its bibliography?

Scientists whose work had been quoted at length in the book's text.

Which of the following best expresses the central idea of the passage?

Sea ice continues to pose problems for ships, and crews in polar regions can only safely operate once they understand how such ice affects their ship's navigation and other operations.

The use of the technique described above depends most strongly on which of the following assumptions?

That the periscope being used is powerful enough to see as far as the opposing sniper's position.

Based on the information in the passage, which of the following best describes a major difference between the two styles of preparation?

The Turkish method potentially allows for the addition of cream and sugar.

Which of the following is closest to the author's intended meaning of my copy-book was the board fence, brick wall, and pavement, as it is used in the passage?

The author could only practice writing on everyday surfaces, and these became the equivalent of his copy-book.

According to the information presented in the passage, the difference between humorous storytellers versus comic storytellers is best summarized by the statement:

The comic displays his knowledge of the funny situation in order to provoke laughter; the humorous hides his knowledge to provoke laughter.

Which information, if provided in the passage, would be the least relevant to the main idea of the first paragraph?

The countries using the largest proportion of slave labor in prior centuries.

Based on the information presented in the passage, it is reasonable to infer that:

The naval technology of Russian ship-builders was not as sophisticated as that of some navies in western European countries.

Based on the information in the passage, we can most strongly infer that the author believes what about humorous storytellers?

They must use greater finesse and artistry to elicit laughter from an audience than a comic story-teller must.

Which words or phrases, if inserted in order into the blanks, would help the reader understand the writer's intended meaning?

To this end; additionally

Which words or phrases, if inserted in order into the blank, would help the reader understand the writer's intended meaning?

Understandably Therefore

Based on the information in the passage, what is the best meaning of the word "uniform," as it is used in the passage?

Unvarying, unchanging

Which of the following statements best summarizes the central idea of the passage

Updated technology and a secure port were two of Peter the Great's contributions to modernizing Russia.

Which of the following assumptions most influenced the writer's argument in the passage?

Where an author's work shows stylistic merit within 'incorrect' usage, the author typically broke the rule deliberately.

Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's main point?

With diverging approaches towards unwanted variables, transient and controlled perfection effect efficiency in very different ways.

According to the view presented in the passage, if there was a landowner who possessed hundreds of fertile acres, livestock, and harvesting equipment, but there were no citizens in need of employment, he ___________

Would be able to run a farm, but would have to work very hard and would not make the same profit he had previously made.

he writer's argument is generally addressed to:

Young students, or students seeking to improve their basic writing skills

The proportion spent on publisher's marketing costs _________.

is less than half the amount allocated for printing and editorial costs.

The graph indicates that __________.

on average, an author's income was greater than a publisher's income.