TEAS Test Reading Questions Related

The study showed that private tutoring is providing a significant advantage to those students who are able to afford it. Researchers looked at the grades of students who had received free tutoring through the school versus those whose parents had paid for private tutors. The study included 2,500 students in three high schools across four grade levels. The study found that private tutoring corresponded with a rise in grade point average (GPA) of 0.5 compared to students who used the school's free tutor service and 0.7 compared to students who used no tutoring. After reviewing the study, the board is recommending that the school restructure its free tutor service to provide a more equitable education for all students.

Which of the following would weaken the author's argument?

• A. a report revealing that the cited study was funded by a company that provides discounted tutoring through schools
• B. a study demonstrating differences in standardized test scores among students at schools in various neighborhoods
• C. a statement signed by local teachers affirming that they do not give preferential treatment in the classroom or during grading
• D. a study indicating that GPA has a weak correlation with success in college

Alan —
I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know I'll be out of the office for the next two weeks. Elizabeth and I are finally taking that trip to France we've been talking about for years. It's a bit of a last-minute decision, but since we had the vacation time available, we figured it was now or never.
Anyway, my team's been briefed on the upcoming meeting, so they should be able to handle the presentation without any hiccups. If you have any questions or concerns, you can direct them to Joanie, who'll be handling my responsibilities while I'm out.
Let me know if you want any special treats. I don't know if you can take chocolate and cheese on the plane, but I'm going to try!
Best regards,
Michael

What most likely describes the relationship between the author and Alan?

• A. competitive
• B. formal
• C. friendly
• D. caring

It had been a long morning for Julia. She'd been woken up early by the sound of lawn mowers outside her window, and despite her best efforts, had been unable to get back to sleep. So, she'd reluctantly got out of bed, showered, and prepared her morning cup of coffee. At least, she tried to anyway. In the kitchen she'd discovered she was out of regular coffee and had to settle for a decaffeinated cup instead.
Once on the road, her caffeine-free mug of coffee didn't help make traffic less annoying. In fact, it seemed to Julia like the other drivers were sluggish and surly as well—it took her an extra fifteen minutes to get to work. And when she arrived, all the parking spots were full.
By the time she'd finally found a spot in the overflow lot, she was thirty minutes late for work. She'd hoped her boss would be too busy to notice, but he'd already put a pile of paperwork on her desk with a note that simply said “Rewrite.†She wondered if she should point out to her boss that she hadn't been the one to write the reports in the first place, but decided against it.
When the fire alarm went off an hour later, Julia decided she'd had enough. She grabbed her purse and headed outside with her coworkers. While everyone else stood around waiting for the alarm to quiet, Julia determinedly walked to her car, fired up the engine, and set a course for home.

Which of the following lists Julia's actions in the correct sequence?

• A. Julia woke up early and found she didn't have any regular coffee. When she got to work, her boss had a lot for her to do. When the fire alarm went off, she decided to go home.
• B. Julia got to work and decided she was too tired to do the work her boss asked for, so she went home to get a cup of coffee.
• C. Julia woke up when the fire alarm went off and couldn't get back to sleep. She then got stuck in traffic and arrived at work thirty minutes late.
• D. Julia was woken up early by a lawnmower and then got stuck in traffic on the way to her office. Once there, she found that the office was out of coffee and she had a lot of work to do. When the fire alarm went off, she decided to go home.

Which of the following sentences indicates the end of a sequence?

• A. Our ultimate objective was to find a quality coat at an affordable price.
• B. We chose this particular restaurant because of its outdoor seating.
• C. Finally, we were able to settle in to enjoy the movie.
• D. Initially, it seemed unlikely that we'd be able to keep the puppy.

Skin coloration and markings have an important role to play in the world of snakes. Those intricate diamonds, stripes, and swirls help the animals hide from predators, but perhaps most importantly (for us humans, anyway), the markings can also indicate whether the snake is venomous. While it might seem counterintuitive for a venomous snake to stand out in bright red or blue, that fancy costume tells any nearby predator that approaching him would be a bad idea.
If you see a flashy-looking snake in the woods, though, those markings don't necessarily mean it's venomous: some snakes have found a way to ward off predators without the actual venom. The scarlet kingsnake, for example, has very similar markings to the venomous coral snake with whom it frequently shares a habitat. However, the kingsnake is actually nonvenomous; it's merely pretending to be dangerous to eat. A predatory hawk or eagle, usually hunting from high in the sky, can't tell the difference between the two species, and so the kingsnake gets passed over and lives another day.

What is the best summary of this passage?

• A. Humans can use coloration and markings on snakes to determine whether they're venomous.
• B. Animals use coloration to hide from predators.
• C. The scarlet kingsnake and the coral snake have nearly identical markings.
• D. Venomous snakes often have bright markings, although nonvenomous snakes can also mimic those colors.