Answers 1. The subject of the passage is healthier, low-fat lunch options in school cafeterias. Remember, the
subject of a passage is who or what the passage is
about.
2. b, c, e, f. These results are all mentioned in the
passage. Tofu (a) and stir-fried vegetables (g) are
both healthy, low-fat lunch options, but they are
not mentioned in the passage. Fries (d) are men-
tioned, but they are not low-fat and are men-
tioned as one of the unhealthy items that should
be replaced.
Remember, you’re looking for the facts that the
author has provided. It is extremely important,
especially in test situations, not to put in an answer
that isn’t in the text. Logic may tell you that tofu
and stir-fried vegetables are healthy, low-fat lunch
options, but the paragraph doesn’t tell you this.
You need to stick to the facts. Any assumption
that you make about a passage must be grounded
in evidence found in that passage itself.
3. b. Mimic means to copy. The most obvious clue is
the way the word is used in the sentence. “Unfor- tunately, school cafeterias—in an effort to provide food that is appetizing to young people—mimic fast food menus, often serving items such as burgers and fries, pizza, hot dogs, and fried chicken.” Burgers and
fries, pizza, hot dogs, and fried chicken are all
foods served by fast-food restaurants, and if school
cafeterias are also serving those foods, they are
clearly copying fast-food menus, not rejecting,
ignoring, or disregarding them.
4. c. Answer a is an assumption not based on any-
thing written in the passage. Answer b is too
specific—it is only one example of a healthy, low-
fat lunch option that a school cafeteria can serve.
Only c is general and factual enough to encompass
the whole paragraph.
