Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day, 3rd Edition

8.
a.
This paragraph tells us how the shopping
mall will change the town. The sentence with
the word “tranquil” calls the town tranquil
and quiet, and it says that the mall will inter-
fere with these qualities. Since a mall by
nature is big and busy, it is likely that it will
interfere with opposite kinds of qualities.
Since “tranquil” and “quiet” are used
together, it is likely that they are similar in
nature. Therefore, “tranquil” obviously
means calm, not disturbing or chaotic.
9.
e.
The writer warns the readers of the effects
that a shopping mall will have on residents of
the town and arranges those effects in order
of importance, saving the most important
effect for last.
10.
a.
The first-person point of view is reflected in
the use of the pronouns 
us
and 
we
.
11.
a.
The writer says that the shopping mall 
will have “dire consequences” for the resi-
dents and then uses the pronouns 
us
and
we
—which identifies the writer with the
residents—when listing those dire
consequences.
12.
c.
The effects the writer includes here are all
very serious, especially the third effect—
displacement. The writer has chosen the word
“dire” to emphasize that seriousness.
13.
c.
The passage avoids any unnecessary descrip-
tion or details and uses formal rather than
casual language.
14.
b.
Each sentence explains a negative effect that
the shopping mall will have on the residents
and the negativity of this passage is height-
ened by the word “dire” and the phrase
“avoided at all costs.” Though the shopping
mall itself might be described as threatening,
(choice 
c
), the writer is not “threatening”
anybody.
How did you do? Once again, congratulations if
you got them all correct. If not, this table tells you what
to do.