ACT Reading Practice Exam 1
Instructions: Read the passage in the ACT reading practice test below and answer the questions that follow. Your score and the answers will appear when you have completed the test.
Social Trends
[1] Results of a survey on social trends have identified a rise in immigration as the most significant social change in recent years. Homegrown population increases, defined as the surplus of births over deaths, have been surpassed by immigration. In other words, immigration has increased, while natural population growth has fallen. Specifically, at the end of the twentieth century, net inward migration increased, while natural population growth fell. This trend amounted to significant consequences for ethnic mix and structure. Population patterns have changed dramatically as immigration has become the main catalyst for population growth.
[2] In spite of this steady influx of new members of the population, most people regard immigration as a very good thing which benefits the country. These benefits include the skills brought by workers that are needed to expand the information technology industry. The younger age profile of immigrants also helps to balance the pressures of an aging population.
[3] The survey also revealed other important social trends relating to immigration and population. Notably, the population tripled from almost 76 million at the beginning of the twentieth century to nearly 281 million at the start of the twenty-first century. Average household size declined by 2 people per household over the last century, from 4.6 people per household a hundred years ago to 2.6 members per household today. Alaska had the lowest population density, and the population density of the Northeast, which has always been high, continued consistently to outstrip that of other regional areas. New York and California had the largest populations, and Florida and Arizona had the fastest-growing populations during the period of the study. Further, the percentage of the population living in metropolitan areas increased in every subsequent decade of the study.
[4] Until 1970, the majority of households were living in the Northeast and Midwest, but since 1980 the majority was in the South and West. Slightly more than half of all households are now maintained by people aged 45 and over. Female householders have increased as a proportion of all householders, and older females were far more likely to live alone than were men or younger women. The per capita marriage rate has fallen in the last fifteen years, and there was a concurrent drop in the per capita divorce rate during this time.
[5] The survey also examined changes to overall national income, as well as the spending habits of individuals and households. It has found that the distribution of income has become more and more unequal over the past forty years, with the income of the richest 10% of the people in the country rising disproportionately to that of the poorest sector of the population. As relatively worse-off households struggle to make essential purchases, the amount of consumer credit has recently increased to over a trillion dollars, with credit cards and revolving credit arrangements constituting the lion’s share of this figure. Cash transactions fell sharply as innovative technologies and new forms of payment appeared in the marketplace.
ACT Reading Practice Exam 2
Instructions: Brush up your reading skills by looking at these four excerpts from our ACT reading practice exams.
Teen Smoking
Teenagers who smoke are not from disadvantaged homes, as most people seem to believe. Research shows that teenage smoking takes occurs primarily by youth from more affluent families, whose parents are both working. In fact, the most striking and precipitous rise in teen smoking has been for teenagers from the most financially advantageous backgrounds.
What is the primary purpose of this passage?
A) to provide information on a recent trend
B) to emphasize the dangers of smoking
C) to dispel a common misconception
D) to highlight the difference between two types of teenagers
Hint: As mentioned in the reading strategies list below, you need to focus on the first and last sentences of the paragraph for questions on the author’s purpose.
ACT Reading Practice Answer to Exam 2
The correct answer is C. Misconception means misunderstanding. The phrase “as most people seem to believe” in the passage indicates that there as been a misunderstanding. The also passage provides information on a trend, but the primary purpose is to clear up a misunderstanding.
ACT Reading Practice Exam 3
Cancer risk
Cancer occurs when cells in the body begin to divide abnormally and form more cells without control or order. There are some factors which are known to increase the risk of cancer. Smoking is the largest single cause of death from cancer in the United States. In addition, poor food choices may increase cancer risk. Indeed, research shows that there can be a link between the consumption of high-fat food and cancer.
From this passage, we can infer that:
A) a low-fat diet can reduce the risk of cancer.
B) smoking usually causes cells to divide abnormally.
C) the consumption of high-fat food has increased in recent years.
D) most cancer sufferers have made poor food choices.
Hint: As you will see in the reading strategies section below, you need to focus on sentences containing words like “may” and “can” for inference questions.
ACT Reading Practice Answer to Exam 3
The correct answer is A. The passage states: “Indeed, research shows that there is a definite link between the consumption of high-fat food and cancer.” So, conversely, we can understand that a low-fat diet will decrease the chances of getting cancer. The other answers are not implied in the passage.
ACT Reading Practice Exam 4
Antarctic research
Because of research on Antarctica, we know that more than 99% of the land is covered by snow and ice, making Antarctica the coldest continent on the planet. This inhospitable climate has brought about the adaptation of a plethora of plants and biological organisms. Sedimentary geological formations provide evidence of this process of adaptation. Sediments recovered from the bottom of Antarctic lakes reveal the history of climate change over the past 10,000 years.
According to the passage, the plants and organisms in Antarctica:
A) have survived because of the process of adaptation.
B) are the result of sedimentary geological formations.
C) cover more than 99% of the land surface.
D) grow in the bottom of lakes on the continent.
Hint: This is a specific detail question, as stated in the reading strategies section that follows, you need to analyze the sentence containing the specific idea: “This inhospitable climate has brought about the adaptation of a plethora of plants and biological organisms. “
ACT Reading Practice Answer to Exam 4
The correct answer is A. The passage states: “This inhospitable climate has brought about the adaptation . . . ”
ACT Reading Practice Exam 5
Our ability to measure brain activity is owing to the research of two European scientists: Hans Berger and Edgar Adrian. These scientists demonstrated that the brain, like the heart, is profuse in its electrical activity. Because of this work, we know today that the electrical impulses in the brain, called brain waves, are a mixture of four different frequencies.
The writer uses the phrase “owing to” primarily in order to emphasize:
A) differences between two opposing theories.
B) the importance of this research into brain activity.
C) her personal opinion about the work of these two scientists.
D) the reason why brain waves have difference frequencies.
Hint: What is the author’s main idea in this paragraph?
ACT Reading Practice Answer to Exam 5
The correct answer is B. The passage states: “Because of this work, we know today . . . ” This emphasizes the importance of the achievement.
ACT Reading Strategies – Overview
You will need ACT reading strategies to perform your best on the day of your exam.
The reading exam contains four passages and 40 questions. You will be given 35 minutes to complete this part of the test.
You will need to be able to understand the ideas expressed in the passage and interpret the author’s point of view.
There will also be questions on comprehending the correct sequence of events and making comparisons and generalizations.
More specifically, you will need to use the reading strategies of inferring and logical reasoning.
ACT Reading Strategies by Question Type
There are different types of questions on the ACT reading test, so you will need different strategies for each one.
Identifying the main idea, purpose, or emphasis
To identify the main idea or purpose of the passage, pay special attention to the first and last paragraphs.
This is where the main points or purpose will be introduced and summed up.
If you are asked for the main idea or purpose of a paragraph, focus on the first and last sentences of the paragraph.
Understanding specific ideas
In order to understand specific ideas in an ACT reading passage, focus on the sentence that contains the idea.
You may also need to read the sentence before and after specific point to understand the logical connection of the ideas.
Comparison questions
You may also be asked to compare specific ideas or certain points within a text. Focus on adjectives and other descriptive phrases when making these comparisons.
On paired passages, you have to carry out comparisons and contrasts of the information expressed in the two different passages. Again, you need to focus on adjectives and descriptive phrases in the passages.
Cause and effect questions
The chain of causes and effects in the passage can be determined by using deductive reasoning.
In other words, examine the general idea or outcome in the text and then identify the specific events that caused it.
Pay special attention to sentences that use phrases like “because of” or “due to.”
Inference questions
For these types of questions, use inductive reasoning to make generalizations from the specific points in the text.
So, first you need to analyze the specifics.
Then use common sense to generalize why these specifics occurred.
Pay special attention words like “may,” “might” or “could” in texts like this.
Style and tone
These questions ask you to examine the author’s intention, tone, emphasis, or audience.
If the word “you” is used repeatedly, the author’s tone is informal and the purpose is usually non-academic.
On the other hand, if the text contains high-level vocabulary, the purpose is usually an academic one.
Literary narratives
For excerpts from books or novels, you need to to understand the chronological sequence of events.
Very often, these events will be mentioned in a non-linear order.
You need to look for linking words and phrases in the text like “first of all,” “next,” “then,” and “finally.”
Vocabulary
There may be questions on understanding the meaning of high-level academic vocabulary within the context of the passage.
Try to find words in the same paragraph that look like synonyms for the word or phrase in the question.
ACT Reading Passages – Topics
The passages on the ACT reading exam are on a variety of topics, including natural science, social science, philosophy, art, literature, and other areas in the humanities.
Some passages will be longer than others, and there will be a section in which you will need to make comparisons between two short passages.
You won’t need to (and shouldn’t) use any of your outside knowledge to answer the questions on this part of the ACT exam.
Rather, use only the information provided in the text in order to answer the questions provided.
ACT Tips
More ACT Practice
For further information on the other parts of the ACT exam, please visit our English, Science, and Writing pages.
