Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators — All Questions

Read the passage: 'Community gardens do more than grow vegetables. They give neighbors a shared purpose, teach children where food comes from, and turn vacant lots into gathering places.' Which best states the main idea?

• a.Vegetables are difficult to grow in cities
• b.Community gardens provide benefits beyond producing food✓
• c.Children rarely understand where food comes from
• d.Vacant lots should be sold to developers

The passage lists several benefits of community gardens beyond the vegetables themselves, making the broad statement that they provide social and educational value the main idea. The other choices focus on narrow details or ideas the passage does not support.

Read the passage: 'By the time the hikers reached the summit, clouds had rolled in and a cold wind cut across the ridge. They pulled their jackets tight and did not linger.' What can reasonably be inferred?

• a.The hikers were lost on the mountain
• b.The weather at the summit was warm and pleasant
• c.The conditions at the summit were uncomfortable✓
• d.The hikers had never hiked before

The cold wind and the detail that the hikers pulled their jackets tight and did not linger imply the summit was uncomfortable. Inference draws on evidence in the text; the passage gives no support for the other options.

In the sentence 'The scientist's novel approach challenged assumptions that had gone unquestioned for decades,' the word 'novel' most nearly means:

• a.New or original✓
• b.Fictional
• c.Lengthy
• d.Difficult

In this context 'novel' means new or original, describing a fresh approach that challenged old assumptions. Although 'novel' can also mean a work of fiction, that meaning does not fit a scientist's approach here.

A short article opens: 'Before you sign a lease, there are three questions every renter should ask.' The author's main purpose is most likely to:

• a.Entertain readers with a story about renting
• b.Persuade readers never to rent a home
• c.Criticize landlords for unfair practices
• d.Inform renters about important questions to ask✓

The opening signals a practical, informative purpose: guiding renters to ask key questions before signing a lease. Nothing in the sentence suggests entertainment, blanket persuasion against renting, or criticism of landlords.

Read the passage: 'Sea otters help keep kelp forests healthy. By eating sea urchins, which graze on kelp, otters prevent the urchins from destroying the underwater forest.' According to the passage, how do otters protect kelp?

• a.By eating kelp themselves
• b.By eating the sea urchins that graze on kelp✓
• c.By planting new kelp
• d.By scaring away larger fish

The passage states that otters eat sea urchins, which would otherwise destroy the kelp, so controlling the urchin population is how otters protect the forest. This is a supporting detail stated directly in the text.

Read the passage: 'Yet again the committee postponed the decision, and once more the residents left the meeting with nothing but vague promises.' The tone of this sentence can best be described as:

• a.Cheerful
• b.Neutral
• c.Frustrated✓
• d.Admiring

Phrases such as 'yet again,' 'once more,' and 'nothing but vague promises' convey frustration with repeated delay. Tone is identified through the writer's word choice, which here signals dissatisfaction rather than cheer or neutrality.

In a paragraph, a sentence begins with 'For example,' followed by a specific case. That sentence most likely functions to:

• a.Illustrate or support a preceding general statement✓
• b.Introduce a completely unrelated topic
• c.Summarize the entire passage
• d.Contradict the main argument

The transition 'for example' signals that the sentence provides a specific illustration supporting a broader point made just before it. Recognizing how transitions signal structure is part of analyzing craft and organization.