ACT Reading Practice Test — Part 4
✅ Q62–Q65, Q67–Q70, Q72–Q75, Q77–Q80 — Question only
✅ All passages under 600 characters — 20/20 import guaranteed!
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All Questions & Answers
Every question from ACT Reading Practice Test — Part 4 with the correct answer and a short explanation, so you can review the full set without working through the interactive cards above.
Q1. PASSAGE M [Literary]: James had been a lighthouse keeper for twenty-two years on a rocky island three miles from shore. Supply boats came monthly. He kept a journal, not of storms or ships, but of the sky — every shade of dawn, every cloud formation, every unexpected star. When the lighthouse was automated, the coast guard offered James a mainland apartment. He declined. His daughter called it stubbornness. James called it fidelity. The sky above the island, he wrote in his final entry, had never shown him the same thing twice. That was reason enough to stay. — Q61 [MAIN IDEA]: What central idea does the passage develop through James?
- The loneliness and hardship of isolated professional life
- Deep personal devotion to a place that offers endless wonder
- The conflict between duty to family and duty to work
- The government’s failure to properly compensate lighthouse keepers
Answer:
Deep personal devotion to a place that offers endless wonder
James stays not out of stubbornness but ‘fidelity’ — devotion to a sky that has never shown him the same thing twice. The passage is about finding profound meaning in devoted observation of one place.
Q2. Q62 [DETAIL — Passage M]: What did James record in his journal over twenty-two years?
- The names and details of every ship that passed the lighthouse
- Every shade of dawn, cloud formation, and unexpected star in the sky
- Monthly supply boat arrivals and weather-related equipment failures
- Personal letters to his daughter describing island life
Answer:
Every shade of dawn, cloud formation, and unexpected star in the sky
The passage explicitly states James kept a journal ‘not of storms or ships, but of the sky — every shade of dawn, every cloud formation, every unexpected star.’
Q3. Q63 [INFERENCE — Passage M]: When James calls his decision to stay ‘fidelity’ rather than ‘stubbornness,’ what distinction is he making?
- He is admitting his daughter is correct about his personality
- He is claiming his choice is driven by deep loyalty and meaning, not mere obstinacy
- He is using a legal term to protect his right to remain on the island
- He is suggesting the coast guard has no authority over his decision
Answer:
He is claiming his choice is driven by deep loyalty and meaning, not mere obstinacy
Stubbornness implies unreasonable refusal; fidelity implies principled loyalty. James is saying his choice is meaningful devotion, not irrational resistance.
Q4. Q64 [VOCABULARY — Passage M]: As used in the passage, ‘fidelity’ most nearly means:
- Financial loyalty to an employer or institution
- Deep faithfulness and devoted commitment to something meaningful
- Legal obligation to fulfill the terms of a contract
- Stubbornness and refusal to accept change
Answer:
Deep faithfulness and devoted commitment to something meaningful
‘Fidelity’ means faithful devotion — James uses it to describe his deep, principled commitment to the island and its ever-changing sky.
Q5. Q65 [PURPOSE — Passage M]: Why does the author end with James’s journal entry that the sky ‘had never shown him the same thing twice’?
- To provide scientific evidence that weather patterns are unpredictable
- To show that James’s reason for staying is rooted in genuine wonder, not habit
- To suggest James has poor memory and cannot recall previous skies
- To contrast the island sky with the mainland apartment’s view
Answer:
To show that James’s reason for staying is rooted in genuine wonder, not habit
Ending on this line reveals the true source of James’s devotion — not routine or stubbornness, but genuine wonder at infinite variety. It validates his choice beautifully.
Q6. PASSAGE N [Social Science]: Studies on sleep deprivation show that adults sleeping fewer than six hours nightly perform significantly worse on memory, attention, and problem-solving tasks than those sleeping seven to nine hours. In one experiment, participants deprived of sleep for 17 hours showed cognitive impairment equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%. Most participants, however, rated their own performance as adequate. Researchers call this ‘impaired self-assessment’ — sleep-deprived people cannot accurately judge their own declining abilities. This finding has serious implications for professions requiring sustained attention, including medicine, aviation, and transportation. — Q66 [MAIN IDEA]: What is the passage’s central finding about sleep deprivation?
- Sleep deprivation only affects physical health, not mental performance
- Sleep-deprived people perform worse AND cannot accurately judge their own impairment
- Seven hours of sleep is always sufficient for peak cognitive performance
- Cognitive impairment from sleep loss is easily reversed with caffeine
Answer:
Sleep-deprived people perform worse AND cannot accurately judge their own impairment
The passage identifies two key findings: sleep deprivation impairs performance, and crucially, impaired people cannot accurately assess their own declining abilities.
Q7. Q67 [DETAIL — Passage N]: After 17 hours without sleep, what did cognitive impairment equal in terms of blood alcohol level?
- 0.02% — below the legal driving limit in most countries
- 0.05% — equivalent to mild intoxication
- 0.08% — the standard legal driving limit
- 0.10% — above the legal driving limit
Answer:
0.05% — equivalent to mild intoxication
The passage states: ’17 hours of sleep deprivation showed cognitive impairment equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%.’
Q8. Q68 [INFERENCE — Passage N]: The passage states sleep-deprived people ‘rated their own performance as adequate.’ Why is this finding especially dangerous?
- It means sleep-deprived people are dishonest about their condition
- People cannot recognize their own impairment and therefore will not seek help or rest
- It suggests self-assessment is always unreliable regardless of sleep
- It means performance tests are inaccurate measures of cognitive ability
Answer:
People cannot recognize their own impairment and therefore will not seek help or rest
If impaired people believe they are performing adequately, they will not stop working, driving, or making critical decisions — making the impairment far more dangerous.
Q9. Q69 [VOCABULARY — Passage N]: As used in the passage, ‘impaired’ most nearly means:
- Significantly improved beyond normal baseline levels
- Weakened or diminished in function or ability
- Completely eliminated with no remaining function
- Temporarily altered but quickly returning to normal
Answer:
Weakened or diminished in function or ability
‘Impaired’ means weakened or diminished — cognitive impairment means mental functions like memory, attention, and problem-solving are working less effectively.
Q10. Q70 [PURPOSE — Passage N]: Why does the author list medicine, aviation, and transportation as professions with serious implications?
- To argue these professions should be eliminated and automated
- To show that sleep deprivation in high-stakes jobs can endanger many lives
- To suggest workers in these fields need less sleep than average people
- To provide examples that make the passage seem more scientific
Answer:
To show that sleep deprivation in high-stakes jobs can endanger many lives
These professions require sustained attention where errors cost lives — listing them shows the real-world danger of sleep deprivation beyond individual performance.
Q11. PASSAGE O [Humanities]: The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s was an extraordinary flowering of African American art, literature, and music centered in New York’s Harlem neighborhood. Writers like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston celebrated Black identity and experience with pride and complexity. Painters like Aaron Douglas created bold visual art blending African motifs with modern design. Jazz and blues filled Harlem’s clubs nightly. The movement gave African Americans a powerful cultural voice during an era of widespread racial segregation. Scholars argue the Harlem Renaissance planted seeds of cultural confidence that later nourished the Civil Rights Movement. — Q71 [MAIN IDEA]: What was the primary significance of the Harlem Renaissance?
- It introduced jazz music to white American audiences for the first time
- It gave African Americans a powerful cultural voice and planted seeds of the Civil Rights Movement
- It was primarily an economic movement that created wealth in Harlem
- It was a political protest movement against racial segregation laws
Answer:
It gave African Americans a powerful cultural voice and planted seeds of the Civil Rights Movement
The passage states the Renaissance gave African Americans ‘a powerful cultural voice’ and that scholars argue it planted seeds of cultural confidence that later nourished the Civil Rights Movement.
Q12. Q72 [DETAIL — Passage O]: According to the passage, what was distinctive about Aaron Douglas’s visual art?
- He painted realistic portraits of Harlem’s most famous residents
- He blended African motifs with modern design in bold visual art
- He created sculptures inspired by ancient Egyptian architecture
- He illustrated books written by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston
Answer:
He blended African motifs with modern design in bold visual art
The passage states: ‘Painters like Aaron Douglas created bold visual art blending African motifs with modern design.’
Q13. Q73 [INFERENCE — Passage O]: The passage says the Harlem Renaissance ‘planted seeds’ for the Civil Rights Movement. What does this metaphor suggest?
- Civil rights leaders literally grew up in Harlem’s gardens
- The cultural confidence built during the Renaissance grew into political action decades later
- The Civil Rights Movement began immediately after the Harlem Renaissance ended
- Seeds are a symbol of failure because they take too long to grow
Answer:
The cultural confidence built during the Renaissance grew into political action decades later
Seeds planted grow slowly into something larger — the metaphor suggests the cultural pride and confidence of the 1920s gradually developed into the political courage of the Civil Rights Movement.
Q14. Q74 [VOCABULARY — Passage O]: As used in the passage, ‘flourishing’ most nearly means:
- Struggling to survive against significant opposition
- Growing vigorously and producing remarkable creative work
- Declining gradually after a brief period of success
- Moving from one location to another repeatedly
Answer:
Growing vigorously and producing remarkable creative work
‘Extraordinary flowering’ and ‘flourishing’ both describe the Harlem Renaissance as a period of vigorous, abundant creative growth and achievement.
Q15. Q75 [TONE — Passage O]: Which best describes the author’s attitude toward the Harlem Renaissance?
- Critical — arguing the movement failed to achieve lasting change
- Deeply admiring — celebrating its cultural richness and historical importance
- Neutral — presenting facts without expressing any evaluative opinion
- Skeptical — questioning whether the movement was truly significant
Answer:
Deeply admiring — celebrating its cultural richness and historical importance
Words like ‘extraordinary flowering,’ ‘celebrated with pride and complexity,’ and ‘powerful cultural voice’ show the author’s deep admiration for the movement.
Q16. PASSAGE P [Natural Science]: Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor but support approximately 25% of all marine species. They are built by tiny animals called coral polyps, which secrete calcium carbonate skeletons over thousands of years. Reefs provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds for fish, mollusks, and crustaceans. They also protect coastlines by absorbing wave energy. Rising ocean temperatures cause coral bleaching — polyps expel the algae that give them color and nutrients, turning reefs white. Without the algae, corals starve. Scientists warn that at current warming rates, 90% of reefs could be severely damaged by 2050. — Q76 [DETAIL]: What percentage of marine species do coral reefs support despite covering less than 1% of the ocean floor?
- About 10% of all marine species
- Approximately 25% of all marine species
- More than 50% of all marine species
- About 5% of all marine species
Answer:
Approximately 25% of all marine species
The passage explicitly states coral reefs ‘cover less than 1% of the ocean floor but support approximately 25% of all marine species.’
Q17. Q77 [DETAIL — Passage P]: What causes coral bleaching according to the passage?
- Pollution from plastic waste coating the coral surface
- Rising ocean temperatures causing polyps to expel their nutrient-providing algae
- Overfishing removing the fish that clean coral of parasites
- Increased ocean acidity dissolving the calcium carbonate skeletons
Answer:
Rising ocean temperatures causing polyps to expel their nutrient-providing algae
The passage states: ‘Rising ocean temperatures cause coral bleaching — polyps expel the algae that give them color and nutrients, turning reefs white.’
Q18. Q78 [INFERENCE — Passage P]: The passage states that without algae, corals starve. What does this most strongly suggest about the coral-algae relationship?
- Algae are harmful parasites that corals would be better off without
- Corals and algae share a mutually dependent relationship essential for coral survival
- Corals can survive without algae for extended periods if temperatures drop
- Algae are only important for coral color, not for nutrition
Answer:
Corals and algae share a mutually dependent relationship essential for coral survival
Since corals starve without algae, the relationship is one of essential dependence — corals rely on algae for nutrition, making it a critical symbiotic relationship.
Q19. Q79 [VOCABULARY — Passage P]: As used in the passage, ‘secrete’ most nearly means:
- To hide something carefully from outside observation
- To produce and release a substance from living cells
- To absorb nutrients from surrounding water
- To break down and dissolve existing structures
Answer:
To produce and release a substance from living cells
‘Secrete calcium carbonate skeletons’ means the coral polyps produce and release this substance from their bodies to build the reef structure over thousands of years.
Q20. Q80 [PURPOSE — Passage P]: Why does the author open by contrasting reefs covering less than 1% of the ocean with supporting 25% of marine species?
- To argue that the ocean floor is mostly empty and unimportant
- To immediately establish reefs as disproportionately vital — making their potential loss more alarming
- To suggest that other ocean areas should be studied more than reefs
- To provide a mathematical puzzle for readers to solve
Answer:
To immediately establish reefs as disproportionately vital — making their potential loss more alarming
The dramatic contrast between tiny area and enormous biodiversity impact immediately establishes why reef loss would be catastrophic — making the warning about 2050 damage far more urgent.
Sources & References
Written and fact-checked by Dr. Irfan Mansuri. External links open in a new tab and are provided for further reading and verification.