HiSET Language Arts - Reading Test Prep

Category - HiSET Reading Practice Test Questions

Although water covers approximately sixty-seven percent of the Earth’s surface, less than three percent is fresh water. Accounting for fresh water locked in glaciers, icecaps, or otherwise inaccessible, less than a tenth of a percent of the Earth’s water is available for human consumption. Pollution, population growth, and wasteful irrigation practices they are contributing to a worldwide water shortage. When the clear precious liquid becomes scarce, countries begin to assert claims on fresh water supplies. As a result, drinkable water has become a region of conflict that could eventually lead to greater hostilities between nations.

Some countries such as the United States, have ample sources of water. In other nations, such as China, water is less plentiful. As water resources dwindle, competition for available sources rose. Nations may claim rights to a particular body of fresh water or they may plan to build dams and other projects on rivers. If two or more nations which disagree on water rights or building projects, conflicts can emerge. In order to combat this issue many countries are adopting water conservation and security solutions. The United Nations has implemented programs to combat potential issues that could lead to violence.

What does the author assume about the readers of this passage?
  1. The author assumes the reader knows why fresh water is different from other water.
  2. The author assumes the reader is familiar with water rights in China.
  3. The author assumes the reader knows what irrigation techniques are more wasteful than others.
  4. The author assumes the reader has experienced conflicts brought on by water scarcity.
Explanation
Answer [A]: The author assumes the reader knows why fresh water is different from other water. The author does not define fresh water or make comparisons between fresh water and other water, which could be either salt water or some type of polluted water. It is assumed, when the author writes about fresh water supplies that the reader knows fresh water is that water which is safe for human consumption.
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