GED RLA Practice Test PDF

Reading passage — excerpt from "The Beekeeper":

"Someone was stealing his honey. He had no idea how long it had been going on... But when he went over and shook the cashbox, he found it empty. There were six jars that day, with three inches between each jar and their fronts perfectly aligned, the sample jar standing in front of them like their captain."

1. In this excerpt, the author suggests that Burl needs help:

• A. solving a mystery that troubles him.
• B. cleaning out his honey stand.
• C. working at his honey stand.
• D. making personal improvements.

Answer: D. Earlier in the passage, the widows see Burl as "a fix-up project of their own," implying they want to improve some aspect of his personal life — not help him with tasks at the honey stand.

2. Which statement best summarizes the excerpt?

• A. A beekeeper dreads competition with other honey producers.
• B. A clever thief enjoys confusing a beekeeper and stealing from a small community.
• C. A beekeeper realizes someone is stealing his honey, and this causes him to think about other struggles he faces.
• D. A small community depends on the kindness and hard work of a beekeeper.

Answer: C. Burl notices the rearranged, then missing jars, and that observation leads him into a broader, restless reflection on "the state of things in general" — matching this summary.

Informational passage — excerpt from "Harnessing the Power of Ocean Waves":

"Currently, the technology exists to meet a significant portion of the world's energy demands by converting wave power to electricity."

3. If the author removed the word "significant" from this sentence, the new sentence would:

• A. allow the reader to infer the importance of the technology.
• B. indicate a greater reliance on the technology.
• C. show diminished potential for this technology.
• D. create a realistic portrayal of the technology.

Answer: C. "Significant" emphasizes the scale of the technology's potential; removing it leaves a vaguer, less impressive claim, diminishing the sense of its potential.

4. As used in "his calm, clean-shaven face betrayed no sign of concern," which meaning of "betrayed" is intended?

• A. showed disloyalty toward
• B. aided an adversary with
• C. deceived or misled
• D. revealed or disclosed

Answer: D. In this context, "betrayed no sign of concern" means his face did not reveal or disclose any concern — not that he was disloyal or deceptive.

Grammar & editing (drop-down style):

5. "Using mobile phones during work time is extremely distracting, [ it will / and it will ] no longer be tolerated."
Answer: "and it will." A coordinating conjunction is needed to join two independent clauses; "it will" alone creates a run-on/comma splice.

6. "Customers have been frustrated that employees are sending text messages [ or talk / rather than attending ] to their needs."
Answer: "rather than attending." This creates a grammatically parallel, coherent phrase; "or talk to the needs" does not fit the sentence structure.

7. "...an employee who is not only competent [ in / at ] their job but also works well with a dissatisfied customer."
Answer: "at." "Competent at their job" is the standard idiomatic phrasing in formal English.

Extended Response practice prompt:

Two articles are provided: one arguing that corn-based bioethanol is a smart step toward energy independence, and one arguing it drives up food prices and offers little environmental benefit. Write an argumentative essay stating which position is better supported, using specific evidence from both passages.

Quick approach: State your position in one sentence, back it with two or three specific details pulled directly from the passages, address the opposing view briefly, and close with a one-sentence restatement of your position — all within about 45 minutes.