Study Guide

MoGEA Reading Comprehension and Interpretation Subtest
Sample Questions

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Read the passage below; then answer the three questions that follow.

1     Popular magazines, mainstream news programs, and health Web sites all tout the benefits of riding a bike. Bicycling increases cardiovascular fitness and helps reduce obesity. It improves posture, flexibility, and coordination. Studies have even shown that cycling helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. But does it make sense to encourage bike riding in urban areas?

2     As city planners debate whether to expand downtown streets to accommodate bike lanes, opponents argue against the loss of parking space and express concerns that bicycle riders don't follow traffic laws. Those against bike lanes also worry about the expense of construction, which ranges from $50,000 to $500,000 per mile. However, the costs of bike lanes are offset by real gains.

3     Bike lanes not only put more people on bikes but also enhance city life in a number of ways. Studies show that designating bike lanes, widening curbs and turn lanes, and adding traffic signals for bikes improves safety and draws more business to urban areas. A study done in New York City found a 34% drop in accidents after the addition of bike lanes. Other investigations have shown that bike lanes actually encourage more cyclists to obey traffic laws. When bike lanes are available fewer cyclists run red lights, ride against traffic, make illegal turns, or ride on pedestrian pathways. In addition, bike lanes help keep slower-moving cyclists out of the way of motorists and encourage people to commute by bike, reducing air pollution, parking demand, and traffic congestion.

4     Ill-designed bike lanes can create issues. For example, many planners agree that the biggest hazard of bike lanes occurs at intersections where cyclists and drivers—whether turning or continuing straight ahead—may become confused about who has the right-of-way. But well-designed bike lanes can avoid these problems. Moreover, polls have shown that many motorists as well as cyclists feel more comfortable when cyclists have their own lanes. Bicycling and bike lanes are on the rise in our communities, and for good reason. Their benefits—in terms of health, safety, and the overall quality of urban life—clearly outweigh the concerns of those who continue to oppose them.

Competency 0001
Demonstrate the ability to identify the main idea and supporting details in a college-level text.

1. Which of the following statements best describes how Paragraph 3 develops the main idea of the passage?

  1. It expands the criticisms that opponents make regarding bike lanes.
  2. It provides evidence to demonstrate the positive impacts of bike lanes.
  3. It proposes solutions to make bike lanes more effective in urban areas.
  4. It responds to claims regarding the economic drawbacks of bike lanes.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B. The main idea of the passage is that cities should provide bike lanes in order to improve safety and enhance city life. The third paragraph provides evidence from several studies regarding how bike lanes make cities safer.

Competency 0002
Demonstrate the ability to draw inferences and make credible interpretations of a college-level text.

2. Use the following excerpt from the passage to answer the question that follows.

"A study done in New York City found a 34% drop in accidents after the addition of bike lanes. Other investigations have shown that bike lanes actually encourage more cyclists to obey traffic laws. When bike lanes are available fewer cyclists run red lights, ride against traffic, make illegal turns, or ride on pedestrian pathways."

The information in the excerpt best supports which of the following inferences?

  1. Cyclists pose a potential hazard to pedestrians.
  2. Most cyclists do not feel obligated to obey traffic laws.
  3. Cyclists often feel threatened by drivers making illegal turns.
  4. Most cyclists are confused by traffic lights and signs.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A. The excerpt describes gains in safety achieved by adding bike lanes to city streets. In the text, the writer notes that bike lanes keep more cyclists off areas where pedestrians walk, implying that at least some cyclists use sidewalks, threatening pedestrian safety.

Competency 0003
Demonstrate the ability to use critical reasoning skills to evaluate a college-level text.

3. Which of the following statements from the passage most clearly expresses an opinion?

  1. "Popular magazines, mainstream news programs, and health Web sites all tout the benefits of riding a bike."
  2. "As city planners debate whether to expand downtown streets to accommodate bike lanes, opponents argue against the loss of parking space and express concerns that bicycle riders don't follow traffic laws."
  3. "Moreover, polls have shown that many motorists as well as cyclists feel more comfortable when cyclists have their own lanes."
  4. "Their benefits—in terms of health, safety, and the overall quality of urban life—clearly outweigh the concerns of those who continue to oppose them."
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D. The writer provides considerable support for the claim that bike lanes are good for cities and for people living in urban areas. However, to assert that the benefits of bike lanes "clearly outweigh" the concerns of those who have raised doubts about the expansion of bike lanes is an expression of personal opinion, not a statement of fact.