Civil Service Reading Comprehension Practice Test Results

Question 1
53% answer correctly

Water polo, or Water ball, is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals.

Game play involves swimming, treading water (using a sort of kicking motion known as `eggbeater kick`), players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing the ball into a net defended by a goalie. `Man-up` (or `power play`) situations occur frequently.

Water polo, therefore, has strong similarities to the land-based game of team handball.


Which of the following is NOT a similarity between water polo and team handball?

Both sports feature passing.
Power play situations occur frequently.
Goals are scored by throwing the ball into a net defended by a goalie.
Both sports feature the `eggbeater kick`.
Question 2
70% answer correctly

The Mayan languages form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras. In 1996, Guatemala formally recognized 21 Mayan languages by name, and Mexico recognizes eight more.

The Mayan language family is one of the best documented and most studied in the Americas. Modern Mayan languages descend from Proto-Mayan, a language thought to have been spoken at least 5,000 years ago.


Based on this passage, which of the following statements is true:

Proto-Mayan is a modern variation of Mayan.
Not much is known about the Mayan language family.
Mayan languages are mainly spoken in South America.
The Mayan language family is well documented.
Question 3
66% answer correctly

Balluta Bay is a bay on the northeast coast of Malta within St. Julian`s. It is a popular recreation spot used for swimming, diving, and water sports, with a triangular pjazza surrounded by cafes and shaded by Judas trees.

Its skyline is dominated by the neo-gothic Carmelite Parish Church and the stunning art nouveau Balluta Buildings, which are apartment buildings on the eastern shore, as well as a cluster of terraced townhouses in the local variant of Georgian-style architecture.

The south shore of Balluta Bay features Le Meridien St. Julian`s Hotel, built on the grounds surrounding the 18th century Villa Cassar Torregiani.


In what type of publication would you be most likely to find the above passage?

In a newspaper real estate ad.
In a magazine devoted to water sports.
In a travel guide to Malta.
In a book about historic buildings in Malta.