Free HiSET Language Arts – Reading Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the HiSET Language Arts – Reading practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1In the tale of Mr. Fox, Lady Mary opens a chamber filled with skeletons. The narrator says, “She retreated in haste”; on her way downstairs, she sees Mr. Fox returning. What does “retreated” mean in this context?

   1. A.She withdrew from the room.Correct answer: A
   2. B.She searched through the room.
   3. C.She lingered inside the room.
   4. D.She hid inside the room.

   Explanation: After Mary sees the chamber's contents, the narrator states, “She retreated in haste”; Mary then comes downstairs. She withdraws from the chamber; her hiding occurs later.

   Reference: More Texts and Audio of “Mr. Fox” for Halloween — Blakeway's account of Mr. Fox, first paragraph

2. 2A NASA explanation says that a solar eclipse casts a dark central shadow, the umbra, and a lighter outer shadow, the penumbra. People in the umbra see the Sun completely blocked; people in the penumbra see it only partly blocked. What difference between the regions does the passage describe?

   1. A.The Sun is fully blocked in the umbra and partly in the penumbra.Correct answer: A
   2. B.The Sun is partly blocked in the umbra and fully in the penumbra.
   3. C.The Sun is partly blocked in both the umbra and the penumbra.
   4. D.The Sun is fully blocked in both the umbra and the penumbra.

   Explanation: NASA states that observers in the “central umbra see the Sun completely blocked” and that in the “penumbra, the Sun is only partially blocked.” Those observations distinguish the two shadow regions.

   Reference: Why Do Eclipses Happen? — opening description of solar eclipse shadows

3. 3In a tale about Mr. Fox, Lady Mary decides to visit his house. The narrator says that “she determined to go thither; and accordingly set out unattended.” How does she make the journey?

   1. A.Alongside her two brothers
   2. B.Without another personCorrect answer: B
   3. C.Accompanied by Mr. Fox
   4. D.With several neighbors

   Explanation: The narrative says she “set out unattended,” indicating that she went without a companion.

   Reference: More Texts and Audio of “Mr. Fox” for Halloween — Blakeway's account of Mr. Fox, first paragraph

4. 4NASA explains that a new moon occurs roughly monthly, but a solar eclipse does not. The Moon's orbit is tilted relative to the Earth-Sun plane, so its shadow usually passes above or below Earth. According to the explanation, why is there not an eclipse at every new moon?

   1. A.The Moon's shadow usually crosses Earth's entire surface.
   2. B.The Moon usually casts its shadow away from Earth.Correct answer: B
   3. C.The Moon's shadow usually falls only on the Moon itself.
   4. D.The Moon usually blocks the Sun for all observers on Earth.

   Explanation: NASA explains that during a new moon the Moon usually passes above or below the Sun and “its shadow misses Earth.” The tilted orbit accounts for the missed alignment.

   Reference: Why Do Eclipses Happen? — paragraph beginning Although a new moon happens about once a month

5. 5In a family memoir, the writer says her parents rarely spoke about their past and that, only when she was older, did she appreciate “the odyssey each of my parents undertook.” She describes their separate paths toward refuge and a new life in America. What does “odyssey” mean in this context?

   1. A.A carefully preserved family record
   2. B.A chance meeting with relatives
   3. C.A long and eventful journeyCorrect answer: C
   4. D.A familiar place from childhood

   Explanation: The writer refers to “the odyssey each of my parents undertook” and then describes their paths toward refuge and a new life. Here, an odyssey is an extended journey, rather than a meeting, a record, or a place.

   Reference: Day One: My Family’s Journey to Refuge and Achieving the American Dream — paragraph before My father's story

6. 6A NOAA article describes a resilient coral reef as one that can either resist a large stressful event or recover from it. What does “resilient” mean in this context?

   1. A.Able to avoid contact with any stressful event
   2. B.Able to resist stress only by preventing recovery
   3. C.Able to resist or recover from a stressful eventCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Able to experience stress without responding to it

   Explanation: NOAA defines a resilient reef as one that can “either resist a large-scale stressful event or recover from it.” The term does not promise the absence of threats or describe a reef's diversity.

   Reference: Can a coral reef recover from bleaching and other stressful events? — paragraph beginning NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program

7. 7In a personal account, the narrator recalls receiving news that her grandfather had suffered a stroke and that his condition was “quickly deteriorating.” What does “deteriorating” convey about his condition?

   1. A.It was becoming more stable.
   2. B.It was being successfully treated.
   3. C.It was being carefully diagnosed.
   4. D.It was becoming more severe.Correct answer: D

   Explanation: The phrase “condition was quickly deteriorating” describes his health worsening after the stroke. It does not describe stabilization, diagnosis, or successful treatment.

   Reference: Celebrating the New American in My Family — paragraph beginning One morning in the spring of 2002

8. 8A USGS article cautions that, although some underground caverns carry water, most groundwater is more like water in a sponge: it occupies spaces among soil and rock particles. According to the passage, where is most underground water found?

   1. A.In the small spaces between soil and rock particlesCorrect answer: A
   2. B.In broad underground streams between rock layers
   3. C.In large open caverns beneath layers of rock
   4. D.In reservoirs formed by water-filled underground tunnels

   Explanation: The article says that “the vast majority of underground water occupies the spaces between rocks and subsurface material.” It acknowledges exceptions such as caverns but does not portray them as the main location.

   Reference: Groundwater Flow and the Water Cycle — There are rivers flowing below our feet ... a myth?

9. 9A writer describes a drive across the United States as both a chance to see the country and “a pilgrimage to learn more about my own story as the son of immigrant parents.” What does “pilgrimage” suggest about the drive?

   1. A.It was a trip with personal significance.Correct answer: A
   2. B.It was a move to a permanent residence.
   3. C.It was a daily journey to a workplace.
   4. D.It was a tour arranged for paying visitors.

   Explanation: The writer calls the journey “a pilgrimage to learn more about my own story,” connecting it with a personal search into his family history rather than a commute, relocation, or commercial tour.

   Reference: Finding Home — first paragraph of the author's account

10. 10A USGS passage says natural refilling of deep aquifers is slow because groundwater moves slowly through the unsaturated zone and the aquifer. In this passage, what does “refilling” refer to?

    1. A.Adding water back to an aquifer's stored supplyCorrect answer: A
    2. B.Transferring water out of an aquifer's stored supply
    3. C.Keeping an aquifer's stored supply from receiving water
    4. D.Measuring water already present in an aquifer's supply

    Explanation: Under “Infiltration replenishes aquifers,” USGS describes “Natural refilling of deep aquifers.” In context, refilling means replenishing their water supply, not emptying or sealing them.

    Reference: Infiltration and the Water Cycle — Infiltration replenishes aquifers