GED Test (Mathematical Reasoning, Science, Social Studies, Reasoning Through Language Arts)
Text features and technique: practice questions
Our GED bank has 25 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
Read the passage. "Teenagers are not lazy when they struggle to wake up for a 7:30 a.m. class; their biology is working against them. During puberty the body begins releasing the sleep hormone melatonin later at night, so most teens cannot easily fall asleep before 11 p.m. Because teens need about eight to ten hours of sleep, an early start leaves many chronically short. Districts that moved high school start times to 8:30 or later have reported better attendance and fewer car crashes among teen drivers. Consequently, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m." The author's main purpose is to:
- Argue that schools should start later
- Criticize teenagers for being lazy
- Compare teen drivers with adult drivers
- Describe how melatonin is made
Show the answer
A. Argue that schools should start later — The passage builds toward the recommendation for 8:30 a.m. or later starts.
Question 2
Read the passage. "Grandpa Luis sat on the porch every evening, his radio tuned to a ball game no one else could follow through the static. When I asked who was winning, he only shrugged. 'Winning isn't the point, mija,' he said, turning the dial a hair to the left. 'The point is that somewhere, someone is still playing.' I didn't understand him then. Now, years later, I sometimes leave my own radio on in the kitchen, the voices crackling and fading, and I find that I don't much care about the score either." What does Grandpa Luis mean when he says 'somewhere, someone is still playing'?
- He finds comfort in the game simply going on, not in its outcome
- He is angry that his team is losing and does not want to talk about it
- He wants to become a baseball player
- He thinks the radio is broken
Show the answer
A. He finds comfort in the game simply going on, not in its outcome — He says winning isn't the point; what matters to him is that the game, and life, continues.
Question 3
Read the passage. "Dear Editor: Your article last week claimed that the proposed bike lanes on Main Street will 'destroy local business.' This is simply not true. When nearby Fairview added bike lanes in 2019, sales at shops on its main street rose 8 percent over the next two years, according to the town's own tax records. Moreover, the plan keeps 90 percent of existing parking. I understand that change worries shop owners, but the evidence points the other way. I urge the council to approve the lanes. Sincerely, R. Okafor" The phrase 'I understand that change worries shop owners' serves to:
- Introduce new evidence about sales
- Agree with the newspaper that the bike lanes should be rejected by the council
- Acknowledge an opposing concern before restating the writer's position
- Change the subject to parking
Show the answer
C. Acknowledge an opposing concern before restating the writer's position — Acknowledging the other side makes her argument appear fair before she returns to her claim.
Question 4
Read the passage. "Jury duty is often treated as an inconvenience to be avoided. But a trial by jury is one of the oldest protections of liberty in the English-speaking world, written into both the Sixth and Seventh Amendments. When citizens refuse to serve, juries are drawn from a narrower slice of the community, and the defendant's right to be judged by peers is weakened. Employers can help by paying workers during service, and courts can help by shortening waits. But in the end, the responsibility belongs to each of us." Why does the author mention the Sixth and Seventh Amendments?
- To show that jury trials are a constitutional protection
- To list other civic duties
- To argue that jury duty should be abolished and replaced by professional jurors
- To explain how judges are chosen
Show the answer
A. To show that jury trials are a constitutional protection — The amendments establish the jury trial as a protected right, giving the argument weight.
Question 5
Read the passage. "The fire started small, as most do. A space heater left too close to a curtain in an empty apartment smoldered for an hour before anyone smelled smoke. By then the flames had climbed into the attic. Firefighters later said the building's smoke alarms had been installed correctly, but three of the four had dead batteries. 'Alarms don't save lives,' the fire chief said at a press conference. 'Working alarms save lives.' The city has since begun a program that gives free ten-year sealed-battery alarms to any renter who asks." What is the effect of the fire chief's quote?
- It suggests that alarms are useless
- It blames the firefighters
- It explains how the fire started
- It stresses that alarms are only useful if they work
Show the answer
D. It stresses that alarms are only useful if they work — By contrasting 'alarms' with 'working alarms,' the chief emphasizes maintenance.