CBEST Reading for Context
Here are some free CBEST reading for context questions.
The answers to these practice CBEST Exam questions for reading are provided at the bottom of the page.
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CBEST Reading for Context – Passage 1
The world’s first public railway carried passengers, even though it was primarily designed to transport coal from inland mines to ports on the North Sea. Unveiled on September 27, 1825, the train had 32 open wagons and carried over 300 people.
The locomotive steam engine was power by what was termed the steam-blast technique. _______________ . In this way, the steam created a draft of air which followed after it, creating more power and speed for the engine.
The train had rimmed wheels which ran atop rails that were specially designed to give the carriages a faster and smoother ride. While the small carriages could hardly be termed commodious, the locomotive could accelerate to 15 miles per hour, a record-breaking speed at that time.
Subsequently, the inventor of the locomotive, George Stephenson, revolutionized his steam engine by adding 24 further pipes. Now containing 25 tubes instead of one, Stephenson’s second “iron horse” was even faster and more powerful than his first creation.
1. Which of the following is the best meaning of the word commodious as it is used in this passage?
A. small
B. uncomfortable
C. spacious
D. speedy
E. smooth
2. Which sentence, if inserted into the blank line in paragraph 2, would best fit into the logical development of the passage?
A. The chimney of the locomotive engine redirected exhaust steam into a chimney via a narrow pipe.
B. This technique was quite innovative at that time, making Stephenson its pioneer.
C. Previous engines had used different propulsion devices that were not as powerful.
D. Most of the passengers were unaware of the technology behind Stephenson’s invention.
E. Because of the power of the engine, it was important to ensure that the passengers would have a smooth ride.
3. Why was the second locomotive that Stephenson invented an improvement on his first?
A. because it ran more smoothly
B. because it was more comfortable
C. because it could carry more passengers
D. because it contained more pipes and tubes
E. because it ran with greater force and speed
Comments: The CBEST Exam for Reading will ask you to identify the meaning of a word based on its context within the reading passage, as in question 1 above.
Question 2 is an example of a reading question on the CBEST which tests your knowledge of the content of a sentence within the context of the reading passage as a whole.
Question 3 is a specific detail reading question. You will see several specific detail questions on the Reading Exam.
CBEST Reading for Context – Passage 2
Best known for his process of pasteurization, or the eradication of germs in liquid substances, Louis Pasteur was also the father of the modern rabies vaccine. In December of 1880, a friend who was a veterinary surgeon gave Pasteur two rabid dogs for research purposes.
Victims of bites from rabid dogs normally showed no symptoms for three to twelve weeks. By then, however, the patient would be suffering from convulsions and delirium, and it would be too late to administer any remedy. Within days, the victims would be dead.
So-called treatments at that time consisted of burning the bitten area of skin with red-hot pokers or with carbolic acid. __________ . Pasteur devoted himself to discovering a more humane and effective method of treatment for the disease.
His tests on the rabid dogs confirmed that the rabies germs were isolated in the saliva or nervous systems of the animals. After many weeks of tests and experiments, Pasteur at last cultivated a vaccine from a weakened form of the rabies virus itself.
1. Which sentence, if inserted into the blank line in paragraph 3, would be most appropriate for the author’s audience and purpose?
A. These “remedies” often resulted in fatal trauma to the patients.
B. Carbolic acid was also a common cleaning agent at that time.
C. Dog owners were often unaware that their pet was infected with rabies.
D. As medical professionals, you are aware of the dangers of these types of “treatment.”
E. Researchers today continue to cultivate new strains of the rabies vaccine.
2. Which of the following is the best meaning of the word eradication as it is used in this passage?
A. cleansing
B. destruction
C. reduction
D. amelioration
E. assuagement
3. What are the symptoms of rabies infection, if it is left untreated?
A. reddening of the skin
B. burning sensation of the skin
C. seizures and anxiety
D. muscular contractions and forgetfulness
E. mental disturbances and physical tremors
4. What is the most appropriate title of this passage?
A. Pasteurization and the Rabies Vaccine
B. The Life and Work of Louis Pasteur
C. Pasteur’s Discovery of the Rabies Vaccine
D. Experimental Research on Rabid Dogs
E. Uses of the Modern Rabies Vaccine
Comments: The ability to place a sentence in a reading passage according to the suitability of the sentence to the reading passage’s purpose is a common question on the CBEST Test for Reading, as in question 1 above.
Question 2 on this passage for reading again asks you to identify the meaning of a word based on its context within the reading passage.
Question 3 is a specific detail reading question. As stated previously, you will see several specific detail questions on the Reading Exam.
Reading for context questions on the Reading Test that ask you to select a title for the passage are a type of main idea question. Be sure not to choose a title that is either too specific or too general.
CBEST Reading for Context – Passage 3
Inherent social and cultural biases pervaded the manner in which archeological findings were investigated during the early nineteenth century because little attention was paid to the roles that wealth, status, and nationality played in the recovery and interpretation of the artifacts. __________ , in the 1860s Charles Darwin established the theory that human beings are the ultimate product of a long biological evolutionary process.
Darwinian theory infiltrated the discipline of archeology and heavily influenced the manner in which archeological artifacts were recovered and analyzed. ____________ Darwinism, there was a surge in artifacts excavated from African and Asian localities by the late 1900s.
1. Which of the words or phrases, if inserted in order into the blanks of the passage, would help the reader better understand the sequence of events?
A. Then; As a result of
B. Although; In spite of
C. While; Finally
D. During; However
E. Yet; In the end
2. Based on the information contained in the passage, what is a likely conclusion regarding archeological methods?
A. They need to remain static to be useful.
B. They should create cultural differences.
C. They should not have been rectified in countries in the Far East.
D. They have developed a good deal when compared to earlier centuries.
E. They must be based on Darwinian theory in order to be valid.
Comments: You are bound to see at least 2 questions like question 1 on the Reading Test. This type of reading question tests your understanding of the function of key transition words within a passage.
You will also see reading questions on the test like question 2 in this part. These reading questions determine whether you can draw conclusions or generalizations from material in the reading passage provided on the test.
CBEST Reading for Context – Answers to Passage 1
1. C
2. A
3. E
CBEST Reading for Context – Answers to Passage 2
1. A
2. B
3. E
4. C
CBEST Reading for Context – Answers to Passage 3
1. A
2. D