Which of the following best completes the outline of the passage? I. Early book collections limited by rank, invitation, or dues / II. ______ / III. Carnegie's philanthropy and its conditions / IV. The broadening of the library's mission

Forces behind nineteenth-century tax-supported libraries

Communities that were unable to raise taxes for library buildings

Modern library services such as laptops and workshops

The decline of subscription libraries in English towns

Which of the following findings, if true, would most weaken the writer's argument?

A rigorous study finds that brief nightly homework sharply raises elementary reading scores.

Many high school students report spending more than two hours a night on homework.

Some Millbrook teachers already assign less homework than the proposed limit allows.

Several parents at the meeting say their children finish their homework quickly, easily, and without complaint.

Which of the following conclusions about reef fish is best supported by the passage?

Their survival can depend indirectly on water temperature through the health of corals.

They cause bleaching by eating the algae that live inside coral tissue.

They are unaffected by bleaching unless the water exceeds their own heat tolerance.

They benefit from bleaching because white coral offers them better camouflage.

The author's main purpose in paragraph 5 is to:

qualify an overstated claim about the press's influence

introduce a rival invention that competed with the press

argue that the press had little effect on European history

summarize the economic data presented in paragraph 2

MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills (01)

Free MTEL CLST Practice Questions

10 sample questions for the MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills (01), with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.

Sections covered on the exam: Reading Subtest (101), Writing: Multiple-Choice Skills.

Question 1 · Reading Subtest (101)
As used in paragraph 2, the word deficit most nearly means:
- A.routine
- B.shortfall
- C.disorder
- D.complaint
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. shortfall
In paragraph 2, the deficit is the sleep a student fails to get each night, which "accumulates across the week" and is only "partially" repaid on weekends, so it means a shortfall. "Disorder" is tempting because sleep problems can be medical, but the passage describes an amount missing, not an illness.
Question 2 · Reading Subtest (101)
Which of the following best completes the outline of the passage? I. Early book collections limited by rank, invitation, or dues / II. ______ / III. Carnegie's philanthropy and its conditions / IV. The broadening of the library's mission
- A.Communities that were unable to raise taxes for library buildings
- B.Modern library services such as laptops and workshops
- C.Forces behind nineteenth-century tax-supported libraries
- D.The decline of subscription libraries in English towns
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Forces behind nineteenth-century tax-supported libraries
Paragraph 2, which falls between the history of early collections and the discussion of Carnegie, explains the forces that produced tax-supported libraries. Modern services belong under heading IV, and the struggles of poorer communities are a detail under heading III.
Question 3 · Reading Subtest (101)
Which of the following findings, if true, would most weaken the writer's argument?
- A.Many high school students report spending more than two hours a night on homework.
- B.Some Millbrook teachers already assign less homework than the proposed limit allows.
- C.A rigorous study finds that brief nightly homework sharply raises elementary reading scores.
- D.Several parents at the meeting say their children finish their homework quickly, easily, and without complaint.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. A rigorous study finds that brief nightly homework sharply raises elementary reading scores.
The argument rests on research in paragraph 2 showing little benefit for young students; strong evidence that even short homework greatly improves elementary achievement would undercut that foundation. Reports from a few parents whose children finish quickly are anecdotal and do not address whether homework helps learning.
Question 4 · Reading Subtest (101)
Which of the following words or phrases, if inserted at the beginning of part 12, would best clarify the relationship between parts 11 and 12?
- A.Instead,
- B.In addition,
- C.Even so,
- D.In contrast,
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. In addition,
Parts 10, 11, and 12 each describe a separate positive change in student behavior, so part 12 adds another benefit to the list; In addition signals that relationship. Even so and In contrast would wrongly suggest that improved attendance conflicts with the lesson about patience in part 11.
Question 5 · Reading Subtest (101)
Which of the following words or phrases, if inserted at the beginning of part 6, would best clarify the relationship between parts 5 and 6?
- A.Nevertheless,
- B.In contrast,
- C.Instead,
- D.For instance,
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. For instance,
Part 5 says the decision "grew out of what we observed in class," and part 6 gives the first specific observation, so For instance signals that an example follows. Nevertheless and In contrast would wrongly suggest that the students' complaints contradict the teachers' observations, when they are the observations.
Question 6 · Writing: Multiple-Choice Skills
Which of the following changes is needed in part 6?
- A.Change asked to asks .
- B.Change me to I .
- C.Insert a comma after Alvarez .
- D.Delete the comma after weeks .
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Insert a comma after Alvarez .
The name Ms. Alvarez is a nonrestrictive appositive that renames the coordinator , so it must be set off by a pair of commas; the closing comma after Alvarez is missing. Deleting the comma after weeks would remove the correct comma after the introductory phrase, and the other changes would introduce tense and pronoun-case errors.
Question 7 · Reading Subtest (101)
Which of the following conclusions about reef fish is best supported by the passage?
- A.They cause bleaching by eating the algae that live inside coral tissue.
- B.They are unaffected by bleaching unless the water exceeds their own heat tolerance.
- C.They benefit from bleaching because white coral offers them better camouflage.
- D.Their survival can depend indirectly on water temperature through the health of corals.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Their survival can depend indirectly on water temperature through the health of corals.
Paragraph 2 traces a chain of effects: persistent heat can kill corals, and then the fish that depend on the reef's structure lose their habitat. The claim that fish are unaffected unless the water exceeds their own tolerance ignores this indirect link through habitat loss.
Question 8 · Reading Subtest (101)
The author's main purpose in paragraph 5 is to:
- A.qualify an overstated claim about the press's influence
- B.introduce a rival invention that competed with the press
- C.argue that the press had little effect on European history
- D.summarize the economic data presented in paragraph 2
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. qualify an overstated claim about the press's influence
Paragraph 5 names a tempting claim—that the press alone caused major movements—says it "goes too far," and replaces it with a more measured view of the press as an amplifier. The author does not deny the press's importance, so the purpose is not to argue that it had little effect.
Question 9 · Reading Subtest (101)
Which of the following words or phrases, if inserted at the beginning of part 15, would best clarify the relationship between the third and fourth paragraphs?
- A.Similarly,
- B.For instance,
- C.Admittedly,
- D.Consequently,
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Admittedly,
After describing the benefits of the makerspace, the writer turns in part 15 to a possible objection before answering it in parts 16 and 17, so a concession word such as Admittedly fits. Consequently is tempting because it links paragraphs, but safety concerns are not a result of the design challenges described in the third paragraph.
Question 10 · Writing: Multiple-Choice Skills
Which of the following words in the passage is misspelled?
- A.seperate
- B.diary
- C.salary
- D.arithmetic
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. seperate
The word in part 11 should be spelled separate , with an a in the second syllable. Arithmetic (part 11), salary (part 6), and diary (parts 7 and 15) are spelled correctly; seperate is one of the most commonly misspelled words in English.

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