TAPIA & SILVA READING

COMPRESSION TEST
YO. GENERAL DATA
Instrument name: Tapia & Silva Reading Comprehension Test
Authors: Violeta Tapia Mendieta & Maritza Silva Alejos
Year: 1982
Aim: Measure general reading comprehension ability
expressed in specific sub-skills.
Areas:
 Fact Information: Items
 Definition of Meaning
 Definition of Meaning
 Identification of the central idea of the text
 Interpretation of facts
 Inference about the author
 Inference about the content of the fragment
 Label
Addressed to: Students from 12 to 20 years old who attend
Secondary Education and I Cycle of Higher
Education

II. THEORETICAL ASPECTS

Reading constitutes one of the basic instruments of school learning; this is how its
optimal development makes better academic performance possible. It is
considered an essential pillar for the acquisition of knowledge and also enables an
understanding and interpretation of the world.

In our context, during the 40s and 50s the school was oriented towards reading
and then abandoned us to memorization. The school of 1970 made an attempt to
develop the “critical spirit” but without developing optimal methodologies that could
achieve this objective, contenting itself with emphasizing that it was necessary for
the child to analyze not only the texts he read but also his source of inspiration;
that is, the social context that produced them. However, neither in one case nor in
the other was the effort of the educational task oriented towards the development
of the “scholar's thinking” (Rosales, 1984, cited by Grimaldo, 1998).

Reading comprehension still constitutes one of the main difficulties that

schoolchildren in our environment go through. It is known that all specialists agree
that learning requires reading as a basic instrument for it to be carried out, but we
have not made much progress in this regard. Research shows that the decline or
lack of development of the reading habit has occurred only in less developed and
dynamic countries.

Reading in and of itself is meaningless. Its reason depends on the value it takes on
the life of a people. It is not simply about learning or teaching to read, but
discovering how through reading the written and spoken word acquires its strength.
Learning to read is learning to say your word (Parent, Esquivel & Heras, 1997,
cited by Grimaldo,1998).
In addition, reading stimulates thought and creativity processes, allows the
assimilation of a greater amount of verbal information and enables maximum
organization of the information.

Allende (1990) points out that the most important functions of language constitute:
the appellative, expressive and representative functions. These three functions
take on their own modalities in reading. This is how from them you can understand
the importance of reading for personal and social life. (Cited by Grimaldo, 1998).

The appellative function uses the imperative mood and in the various ways of
giving orders or indications. It is found in every written text, which asks the reader
to develop their reading activity. Allende (1990) also points out that some texts
perform normative, interactional, instrumental and heuristic functions. (Cited by
Grimaldo, 1998).

The expressive function constitutes the influence of reading on the emotional and
imaginative world of the reader. Halliday (cited by Grimaldo, 1998), refers to
personal and imaginative functions.
The representative function refers to the transmission of cultural heritage and is
reflected in most educational texts. Allende (1990, cited by Grimaldo, 1998) also
points out another function called metalinguistics, which refers to the ability of the
language to refer to itself. Here we find the lexical, orthographic and
morphosyntactic functions.

Within the ways of reading we find formative reading, which seeks to awaken
questioning, analysis and confrontation in the reader; and the informative one,
which tries to provide general information on various economic, social, cultural,
political, artistic aspects, among others.

In addition to these forms, there are other types of reading, such as: research,
structural and analytical reading, which is the most complete and comprehensive.
The interpretive and/or synthetic, whose objective is communication between the
author and the reader through a common language; and critical and/or
evolutionary, whose purpose is to enable the reader to make a judgment about the
reading or the reality being judged. This reading demands complete information,
analysis and impartiality of judgment.
The habit of reading is an acquired ability that predisposes the subject to reading,
but it is important to note that in this acquisition process there are agents or factors
that sometimes favor, and in others, constitute an obstacle to its development. The
most important are considered to be: home, school, community, socioeconomic
situation and other factors such as the environment, type of school, sex and
personal interest.

Reading involves a set of partial operations, which are important to mention:

Decoding, which is understood as the ability to identify a graphic sign by a name or
a sound and as the ability to transform written signs into oral language. Its learning
is achieved first of all with knowledge of the alphabet and with oral reading or
transcription of a text.

Another partial operation constitutes Comprehension, which refers to the ability to

decipher the code of a message and grasp its meaning. Their learning is achieved
through the progressive mastery of increasingly complex written texts.

In the Reading Comprehension process it is important to consider that the issuer

intervenes and the influence of the following factors, such as: the codes he uses,
the cognitive schemes he follows and his heritage of knowledge. The sender
generates a message, which in this case will be the written text. Here the physical
characteristics of the text, the sentential and textual linguistic components and the
referential components are considered. This message reaches the receiver or
reader and the interpretation occurs. It takes into account: the receiver's codes,
their cognitive schemes and their knowledge heritage. (Allende, 1990 cited by
Grimaldo,1998).

Reading comprehension is defined as a generic skill that is manifested through the

following specific behaviors: reporting on specific facts, defining the meaning of
words, identifying the central idea of the text, interpreting facts, inferring about the
intention, and that's it. from the author's point of view, inferring about the content of
the fragment and the labeling (Tapia & Silva, 1982). As can be seen, several skills
are included, although it is known that they are not the only ones, but they are the
most important.

III. CONSTRUCTION CRITERIA

Tapia & Silva (1982) point out that the test development process has included a
series of steps that are described below:

a) Text Selection: Reading texts with different contents were collected, both
humanities and scientific in nature and by Peruvian authors. The texts were
consulted with educators and specialists in various areas, and fifteen of them were
selected for the preparation of the original test.
b) The measurement of specific reading comprehension skills was carried out
through the items whose required responses were related to the selection of the
best definition, information on specific facts, questions answered in a paragraph
with different words, inferences about the content of a paragraph, selection of the
main meaning of a paragraph, information about the author's intention.

Below in Table 1 each of the areas is presented with the respective items that
make them up.

Table 1
Organization of items by Areas

AREAS ITEMS
Fact information 1,2,13,24,27,29
Definition of meanings 5,16

Identification of the central 14,23,28

idea of the text
Interpretation of facts 4,6,7,9,10,12,15,17,18,21,22,31,32,36
Inferences about the author 37,38
Inferences about the content 19,20,25,30,34,35
of the fragment
Label 3,8,11,26,33

III. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

ORIGINAL VERSION
The original version is composed of 10 reading fragments organized into 38 items.

The items were mostly multiple choice with three distractors and one correct
answer, as seen in Appendix A. In the same way, one completion item and two
ranking items were included.

The forms of administration can be individual and collective and are aimed at people
between 12 and 20 years old who are studying Secondary Education and I cycle of
Higher Education. It generally takes between 50 to 60 minutes including the
instruction period. The correction is done by hand, using the answer key, where one
point is assigned for a correct answer, with the maximum score being: 38 points.
SHORT VERSION
The abbreviated version is made up of four reading fragments, as presented in
Appendix B.

This version is made up of 16 items, presenting four fragments of readings; most of

which are organized according to multiple alternatives.

Application time is approximately 20 minutes. Just as in the original version, its

application can be individual or collective.

v. VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE ORIGINAL VERSION

VALIDITY

The purpose of this test is to measure general reading comprehension ability

expressed in specific sub-skills. The instrument has content and empirical
validity. The preparation and selection procedures of the items used in the
development of the test offer evidence of content validity.

To determine empirical validity, the authors took the California Mental Ability Test
(Intermediate Series) as a criterion measure. The validity index obtained was 0.58,
with a variation of 33.64%.

RELIABILITY
Regarding reliability, the authors used the test - retest, whose correlation index was
0.53 and the internal consistency index through Kuder Richardson's formula 21,
whose value was 0.58. The standard error of measurement was 3.01, meaning that
the upper or lower limit values in which the score can vary is three points. The
reliability indices are equally moderate and are related to the validity indices.

RULES
Regarding the normative aspects, the authors constructed a Peruvian Scale, in a
representative sample (men and women) of Secondary Education and I Cycle of
Higher Education (ESEP), as seen in table 2. Norms were included according to
degree of study, semester and age. The score interpreted based on the percentile
scales allows us to appreciate the level of overall performance of the person,
expressing their position within the group, which is assessed through ranges.
 Table 2
Scales for educational centers in Metropolitan Lima
Punctuation Percentiles
Direct First year Second year Third year

38

37
36
35

34
33

32

31 100
30 99

29 99
28 100 98
27 100 98 96

26 99 96 93
25 98 93 89
24 93 84 77
23 93 84 77
22 89 77 69
21 84 75 60

20 75 69 50
19 69 60 40
 Continued Table 2

Punctuation Percentiles
Direct First year Second year Third year

18 60 50 40
17 50 40 31
16 40 25 23
15 40 23 16

14 31 16 11
13 23 11 7
12 16 7 4

11 11 4 1

10 11 2 1

9 7 2

8 2 1

7 2

6 1

5
4
3
2
1
0
Average 16,98 18,30 19,36
Standard deviation 4,33 4,09 4,19

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE SHORT VERSION

VALIDITY
No data are reported regarding the validity of the abbreviated version of the
instrument.

RELIABILITY

Grimaldo (2002) studied the reliability of the abbreviated version in a group of 142
female students, whose ages ranged between 14 and 16 years, from a state
daytime educational center.

Initially, Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was calculated on all the items of the original
version and subsequently an analysis of the items by fragments was carried out.
Table 3 presents the results of the reliability of the original scale.
 Table 3
Reliability of the original version
Fragments- Items Correlation: Item-Total Alpha
F1I1 ,2162 ,5811
F1I2 ,2679 ,5799
F1I3 ,3741 ,5626
F1I4 ,2311 ,5772
F2i5 ,0129 ,5965
F2I6 ,2316 ,5770
F2I7 ,0425 ,5967
F2I8 ,2771 ,5720
F3I9 ,2271 ,5777
F3I10 ,0757 ,5912
F3I11 -,0840 ,6099
F3I12 ,2953 ,5700
F4I13 ,1362 ,5870
F4I14 ,3047 ,5706
F4I15 ,0722 ,5940
F5I16 ,1330 ,5873
F5I17 -,0588 ,6050
F5I18 ,1626 ,5845
F5I19 ,0147 ,5993
F6I20 ,2193 ,5785
F6I21 -,0996 ,5959
F6I22 ,2427 ,5774
F6I23 ,1646 ,5842
F7I24 ,1630 ,5844
F7I25 ,2140 ,5792
F7I26 -,1047 ,6076
F8I27 ,2640 ,5781
F8I28 ,2849 ,5720
F8I29 ,3596 ,5653
F8I30 -,0105 ,5963
F9I31 ,1517 ,5856
F9I32 ,2812 ,5716
F9I33 ,2050 ,5800
F9I34 ,2010 ,5804
F10I35 ,1208 ,5885
F10I36 -,0561 ,6008
F10I37 ,0177 ,5979
F10I38 -,1652 ,6105
Source: Grimaldo (2002)
The item analysis of the fragments reveals that the reliabilities are quite low, as
presented in Table 4. In the case of fragments 1 and 8 they are medium and in the
case of fragments 2 and 6 they are very low. For this reason, it is proposed that these
are the fragments that constitute the short version of the test.

Table 4
Analysis of the Items of the fragments of the Tapia & Silva Reading
Comprehension Test

Coefficient
Fragments Alpha
1 ,0628
2 ,0403
3 ,1088
4 ,0629
5 ,0403
6 ,1088
7 -,1504
8 ,4501
9 ,0038
10 -,0244
Source: Grimaldo (2002)

One way to verify this short version was to find the reliability and item analysis of
just these fragments, as shown in Table 5; where it is observed that the reliability
of this short version is acceptable. The item analysis reveals that items 21 and 30
are “strange” even 15. For this reason, the distractors of the aforementioned
questions were reformulated. Finally, the test was made up of the items
corresponding to the fragments: 1, 2, 6 and 8.
 Table 5
Analysis of the Reliability of the Shortened Version of the Silva & Tapia Reading
Comprehension Test

Fragments- Correlation Alpha

Items Item-total per item
F1I1 ,2752 ,5244
F1I2 ,2562 ,5313
F1I3 ,4001 ,4914
F1I4 ,2341 ,5284
F2i5 ,0157 ,5656
F2I6 ,2755 ,5188
F2I7 ,1192 ,5531
F2I8 ,1970 ,5368
F6I20 ,1464 ,5477
F6I21 ,0045 ,5564
F6I22 ,2387 ,5282
F6I23 ,1205 ,5532
F8I27 ,1810 ,5393
F8I28 ,2816 ,5181
F8I29 ,3195 ,5109
F8I30 ,0095 ,5619
Source: Grimaldo (2002)

In the same way, the categories were established for both male and female
students, as seen in table 6.

Table 6
Silva & Tapia Reading Comprehension Test Score Categories (Short Form)

Categories Criteria
Men Women
Very high 12.5 or more 13.7 or more
High 10,5 - 12,4 10,9 - 13,6
Half 6,5 - 10,4 5,6 - 10,8
Low 5 - 6,4 2,8 - 5,5
Very Low less than 4 Less than 2.8
Source: Grimaldo (2002)

SAW. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

Grimaldo, M. (1998). Levels of Reading Comprehension in fifth-year secondary
school students of medium and low socioeconomic level. In: Liberabit
Magazine . . Vol. 4, year 4. pp.19-26.

Grimaldo, M. (2002). Adaptation of the Socio Moral Reflection Questionnaire

(SROM) by Gibbs & Widaman . Lima, Peru: University of San Martín de
Porres.

Tapia, V. & Silva, M. (1982) Development and Standardization of a Reading

Comprehension Test in Secondary Education and I Cycle of Higher
Education students in Metropolitan Lima . Lima, Peru: National University of
San Marcos
 APPENDIX A
INSTRUMENT PROTOCOL

Instructions

This booklet contains ten reading fragments, each followed by four questions.

After reading each passage carefully, identify the correct answer among those that appear after each
question. On the Answer Sheet, circle the letter that corresponds to the correct answer or write the numbers
according to the instructions that appear in the text.

Do not write anything in this reading booklet.

 FRAGMENT Nº 1 1. Rubber is obtained from:
a) Mines c) Clay
b) Trees d) Minerals
Gum trees are found in South America, Central
America, East Indies and Africa. 2. The acid used in the production of gum is:
a) Citrus c) Hydrochloric
To extract the latex or raw material, a vertical, b) Acetic d) Sulfuric
circular or diagonal cut is made in the bark of the tree. A small
vessel, usually made of clay or mud, is connected to the trunk of 3. From the following six expressions, select one that
the tree. Every night the extractors deposit the contents in clays could be the best title for each of the three paragraphs
that are then emptied into a container. of the reading. On the answer sheet, where the same
expressions appear, place the number “1” on the line to
The collected latex is poured into a tank or tub the right of the expression you select as the title for the
containing an equal volume of water. The gum is coagulated or first paragraph and the numbers “2” and “3” for the
thickened by the action of the acetic acid solution. The densely second paragraphs. and third, respectively:
formed gum particles resemble an extended mass. When rolling, a) Countries d) Latex extraction
washing and drying this dough, variations in the rubber, color and b)Location of e) Transformation of
elasticity occur. rubber tree latex
c) Collecting the gum f) Emptying it into vessels

4. On your answer sheet, number the following

expressions on the lines to the right, according to the
order in which they are presented in the reading:
a) Collecting the latex.
b) Mixing latex with water
 c) Latex coagulation everyone in a minimum of time. This fact has been greatly
d) Latex extraction accelerated by the improvement of wireless telegraphy.

5. An intricate system is:

FRAGMENT Nº 2 a) Complicated
b) Ancient
For eleven years Samuel Morse had been trying to c) Radical
interest someone in his invention of the telegraph, enduring d) Intrinsic
great difficulties to carry out his experimentation. Finally in
1843, Congress approved an appropriation of $30,000 for 6. When Morse wanted to experiment with his invention, it
meant:
this purpose; and thus Morse was able to quickly realize his
a) The application of principles
invention of the telegraph. b) Test a hypothesis
c) Put an idea into practice
In the spring of 1844, when the political parties were
d) Carry out experiences
holding their conventions, the telegraph was ready for practical
application. This instrument was able to notify the candidates and
7. On your answer sheet, number the following
the people of Washington of the results of the convention, before
expressions on the lines to the right according to the
information could be obtained from other means. This event
order in which they are presented in the reading:
sparked public interest and there was a general consensus that an
a) The practical demonstration of the telegraph
important event was happening. In this way the telegraph system
b) The expansion of the use of the telegraph
grew rapidly in thirty years, and spread throughout the world.
c) The effects of the telegraph
d) The efforts of the inventor
At first the telegraph was mechanically complicated, but
with constant research the instrument became simpler. In recent
8. From the following expressions, choose the best title
times, however, with the complexity of modern life the system has
for the entire fragment:
become more complicated. Every city has an intricate system of
a) The effects of the telegraph
telegraph cables over the surface of the streets and even the
b) The Telegraph
continents are connected by cables across the ocean.
c) The improvement of the telegraph
d) Wireless telegraphy
The development of the telegraph has brought the entire
world closer together, providing a method where ideas and
messages from around the world can be carried and reached
 FRAGMENT Nº 3

Many shores away from civilized centers, locked in that

infernal darkness, suffering the rigors of the rain that lashed my 9. In relation to the environment, Ahuanari represented:
almost naked body, without eating, I felt isolated, alone, with my a) a common character
soul imprisoned by the jungle. The storm depresses, the darkness b) An immigrant from the region
isolates. There, perhaps almost touching me, were three men c) A stranger to the place
badly covered in rags like me, and yet I didn't see or feel them. It d) A native of the region.
was as if they didn't exist. Three men representing three different
eras. The Ahuanari-autochthonous one of the region, without 10. In the fragment, these three characters belonging to
history and without desires, represented the resigned present, three eras are described:
prevented from looking at the past where he came from, unable to a) Similar
look into the future where he had no interest in reaching. You saw b) Different
him insensitive to the rigors of nature or ignorant of everything that c) Analogues
was not his jungle. The other –El Matero- was projected towards d) Contemporaries.
the future. He was one of the forgers of the era of elastic rubber, a
raw material that was to revolutionize contemporary industry to a 11. Choose the most suitable title for the fragment from the
notable extent. Our trip meant one of his many explorations in the following expressions:
jungle. He was encouraged, satisfied, almost happy, enduring the a) The vision of a jungle
rigors of winter, towards the smiling house that was waiting for b) The characterization of three characters in the
him, full of affection, on the bank of the river. And the last one - jungle
Sangama - belonged to the past, from where it came through c) The conception of the world in the jungle
purified generations and splendorous centuries, like a shadow, like d) The jungle and its history.
a dream lived remotely, to which it had clung with all the energies
of its spirit. How to adapt is to live, and this was the only 12. Sangama was a character from:
maladjusted of the three, he seemed to me defeated, condemned a) civilized groups
to perish in the end. b) Generations without history
c) A glorious past
d) A story without renown.
 FRAGMENT Nº 4 13. The first group of substances refers to:
a) gaseous bodies
Towards the end of the 18th century, chemists began to b) Minerals
generally recognize two large classes of substances: c) sea salts
One was made up of minerals found on land and in the d) simple gases
ocean, and in simple gases in the atmosphere. These substances
withstood vigorous manipulations such as intense heating, without 14. This fragment is about:
changing their essential nature, and furthermore, they seemed to a) Transformation of natural substances
exist independently of living beings. The other class was found b) Chemical sources
only in living beings and was composed of relatively delicate c) Substances of living beings
substances, which under the influence of heat smoked, burned d) Classification of bodies in nature
and charred, or even exploded.
15. Indicate the answer that does not correspond to the
To the first class belong, for example, salt, water, iron, characteristic of the first group of substances:
rocks; to the second, sugar, alcohol, gasoline, olive oil, rubber. a) They do not depend on living nature
b) They are relatively strong
c) They do not undergo transformations
d) They are combustible substances.

FRAGMENT Nº 5
Many of the chemicals that increase the mutation
coefficient also increase the incidence of cancer. Chemical
substances that increase the incidence of cancer (carcinogens)
have been found in coal tar and there are those who claim that
modern technology has increased the chemical dangers related to
cancer, as well as the risk of radiation.
The incomplete combustion of coal, oil and tobacco, for
example, can give rise to carcinogens that we can breathe.
Substances have recently been discovered in tobacco smoke that
under certain conditions have been shown to be carcinogenic to
some species of animals (presumably they are also carcinogenic
to humans) but there is no direct experimental evidence of this,
since obviously , experiments to produce artificial cancers by
means of potential carcinogens cannot be done in man. In any
case, the possible relationship between smoking and the increase
in the incidence of lung cancer is currently being vigorously
discussed.
16. A carcinogen refers to:
a) Cell mutations.
b) Chemical substances that cause cancer.
c) Artificial cancer.
d) Cancer.
17. According to the author, there is:
a) Direct relationship between the mutation coefficient
of cells and cancer.
b) Relationship between chemicals and mutations.
c) Relationship between the effect of radiation and
chemical substances.
d) Relationship between technological advances and
chemical risks.
18. Tobacco is presumed to be a potential carcinogen
because:
a) There are experimental tests with human beings.
b) Artificial cancer is experimentally produced in
certain kinds of animals.
c) There is a higher incidence of lung cancer in
smokers.
d) Radiation affects the body.
19. Through reading you can deduce:
a) Incomplete combustion of coal causes cancer.
b) Modern technology increases chemical dangers in
relation to cancer.
c) Carcinogenic elements are found in the
atmosphere.
d) There is no definitive evidence on the relationship
between substances and human cancer.
FRAGMENT Nº 6
 We will point out in the first place – with reference to the
population that lives within our borders, to which we refer all the
time when we mention Peru or Peruvians – that it is difficult to
speak of Peruvian culture in the singular. Rather, there are a
multiplicity of separate cultures, also disparate in level and breadth
of diffusion, corresponding to various human groups that coexist in
the national territory.
Think, for example, of Spanish-speaking communities and
communities with other languages; in coastal Westernity,
mountain Indianness and jungle regionalism, in the Indian, the
white, the cholo, the black, the Asian, the European, as
contrasting groups and in many reciprocally exclusive; in the man
from the countryside, the urban man and the primitive man from
the jungle, in the rustic man from the most remote areas of the
country and the refined intellectual of Lima, to which are added,
like so many other differentiated sectors, the artisan, the
proletarian, the petty bourgeois, the professional and other sectors
of the middle class, the peasant, the provincial landowner and the
modern industrialist, not to mention the religious and political
differences that, intersecting with the previous ones, contribute to
the polarization of the national community. This cultural pluralism,
which in an effort of simplification some seek to reduce to a
duality, is therefore a typical feature of our current life.
20. The topic presented would be located within:
a) Literature.
b) Economy
c) Ecology
d) Social sciences
21. For the author, Peruvian culture means:
a) Subcultures of limited expression.
b) Multiplicity of separate cultures
c) Cultural uniformity of human groups
d) Subcultures of the same level of development.
22. The polarization of the national community refers to:
a) Exclusive reciprocity of human groups
b) Differentiated sectors of workers
c) Contrasted human groups
d) Dual character of the national community.
23. The central idea of the text is about:
a) Cultural pluralism of Peru
b) The coexistence of human groups in Peru
c) The uniqueness of Peruvian culture
d) The dualism of Peruvian culture.
FRAGMENT Nº 7
 Life appeared on our planet more than three billion years a) Biologists and anthropologists
ago and since then it has evolved to reach the wonderful set of b) Paleontologists and naturalists
existing organic forms. More than one million animal species and c) Naturalists and geologists
more than two hundred thousand plant species have been d) Anthropologists and paleontologists
identified through the efforts of naturalists and systematists in the
19th and 20th centuries. Additionally, paleontologists have 25. An appropriate conclusion would be:
unearthed a multitude of extinct forms. In very general terms, it a) All species have been classified
has been calculated that the number of species of organisms that b) Birds and mammals are already cataloged
have existed since there has been life on Earth is greater than one c) A larger number of classified forms are found in
billion. There may still be some four hundred and fifteen million in insects.
existence. Although certain classes of organisms, such as birds d) There are species not yet discovered and classified.
and mammals, are well catalogued, there is no doubt that many
other species have not yet been discovered or formally 26. Choose the best title for the fragment from the following
recognized, especially among insects, the class in which the expressions:
largest number of classified forms is found. . a) Scientific investigations
b) Formation of species
c) Number of living beings on the planet
d) Evolution of species.

FRAGMENT Nº 8

Over a huge sea of muddy water, this strange vegetation

24. The study of the species has been carried out by: has grown. It is exclusively made up of the renaco, a plant
that thrives especially in places or in swamps, where it forms
compact forests. When it sprouts isolated, it grows quickly. 28. The fragment is about:
Adventitious roots emerge from its first branches, which a) The characterization of the jungle
develop downwards seeking the earth, but if a tree of another b) Forest vegetation
species rises near one of them, it extends until it reaches it, c) The description of a plant
one or more twists around the stem and continues its path. d) The growth of plants.
journey to the earth, into which it goes deeply. Since then, the
renaco, coiled like a long snake, adjusts its rings in a 29. The renaco is a plant, whose property is:
relentless process of strangulation that ends up splitting the a) Destructive
tree and throwing it to the ground. As this operation is carried b) Medicinal
out with all the trees nearby, he ends up being left alone. c) Decorative
From each of the roots that served for strangulation sprout d) Productive
shoots that over time become independent of the mother
stem. And it frequently happens that, when they do not find 30. The description of the plant has been made in the form:
other species to attach themselves to, they form among a) Geographic
themselves a strange group that could be said to be a tree b) Historical
with multiple deformed stems and layers that do not coincide c) Scientific
with the trunks. Little by little, developing its murderous d) Literary.
property, the renaco is forming forests where it does not allow
the existence of any type of trees.

FRAGMENT Nº 9

The economic and political regime determined by the

27. The renaco is a plant that grows especially in: predominance of colonial aristocracies - which in some Latin
a) Fertile land American countries still subsists although in irreparable and
b) In the vicinity of the jungle progressive dissolution - has for a long time placed the
c) On the banks of a river universities of Latin America under the tutelage of these
d) In swampy places oligarchies and their clientele.
 32. Academic teaching linked to the economic and political
With university education converted into a privilege of interests of a caste results in:
money, and of caste, or at least of a social category a) Privileged
absolutely linked to the interests of both, universities have had b) Bureaucratized
an inevitable tendency towards academic bureaucratization. c) Trained
The purpose of the universities seemed to be mainly to d) Selected
provide doctors to the ruling class. The incipient development,
the miserable radius of public education, closed the higher 33. In your opinion, what would be the best title for the
grades of education to the poor classes. The universities, fragment:
intellectually and materially monopolized by a caste generally a) Higher education in Latin America.
devoid of creative impulse, could not even aspire to a higher b) Academic teaching in universities in
function of training and selecting skills. Their Latin America.
bureaucratization drove them; fatally, to spiritual and scientific c) Privileged university education in Latin America.
impoverishment. d) The quality of higher education in Latin America.

34. For the author, the colonial aristocracy in the Latin

American countries determined:
a) The administrative policy of the government.
b) The type of public instruction.
c) The political and economic regime.
d) The economic regime.

FRAGMENT Nº 10
31. According to the author, in Latin America there
remains: The agrarian problem is presented, above all, as the
a) The predominance of the colonial aristocracy problem of the liquidation of feudality in Peru. This liquidation
b) The oligarchy of castes had to be carried out by the bourgeois-democratic regime
c) Privilege of the ruling class formally established by the independence revolution. But in
d) Foreign influences. Peru we have not had, in a hundred years of republic, a true
bourgeois class, a true capitalist class. The old feudal class,
camouflaged or disguised as the republican bourgeoisie, has
preserved its positions.
The policy of confiscation of agrarian property initiated by
the Revolution of Independence, as a logical consequence of
its ideology, did not lead to the development of its small
property. The old landowning class had not lost its
dominance. The survival of a latifundia regime produced in
practice the maintenance of the latifundium. It is known that
the confiscation attacked more in the community. And the fact
is that, during a century of republic, large agrarian property
has been strengthened and enlarged despite the theoretical
liberalism of our constitution and the practical needs of our
capitalist economy.
b) His ideas were liberal.
c) They were not landowners.
d) They were capitalists.
36. The policy of confiscation of agricultural property
meant:
a) Develop the capitalist economy.
b) Strengthen large agrarian property.
c) Affect the development of communities.
d) Suppress the landowning regime.
37. The agrarian problem in republican Peru is a problem
of:
a) Elimination of the capitalist class.
b) Maintenance of feudalism.
c) Elimination of private property.
d) Maintenance of the capitalist regime.

38. The author's ideological position regarding private

property is:
a) Capitalist position.
b) Liberal position.
c) Demo-bourgeois position.
35. There was no true bourgeois class because: d) communist position.
a) The bourgeoisie remained landowners.

APPENDIX B

INSTRUMENT PROTOCOL

SHORT VERSION
 INSTRUCTIONS

This booklet contains four reading fragments, each followed by four questions.

After reading each passage carefully, identify the correct answer among those that appear after each question.
On the Answer sheet, circle the letter that corresponds to the correct answer or write the numbers according to
the instructions that appear in the text.

Do not write anything in this reading booklet.

 FRAGMENT Nº 1

Gum trees are found in South America, Central America, East

Indies and Africa.

To extract the latex or raw material, a vertical, circular or

diagonal cut is made in the bark of the tree. A small vessel, usually made of
clay or mud, is connected to the trunk of the tree. Every night the extractors
deposit the contents in clays that are then emptied into a container.

The collected latex is poured into a tank or tub containing an

equal volume of water. The gum is coagulated or thickened by the action of the
acetic acid solution. The densely formed gum particles resemble an extended
mass. When rolling, washing and drying this dough, variations in the rubber,
color and elasticity occur.

1. Rubber is obtained from:

a) Mines c) Clay
b) Trees d) Minerals

2. The acid used in the production of gum is:

a) Citrus c) Hydrochloric
b) Acetic d) Sulfuric

3. From the following six expressions, select one that could be the
best title for each of the three paragraphs of the reading. On the
answer sheet, where the same expressions appear, place the
number “1” on the line to the right of the expression you select as
the title for the first paragraph and the numbers “2” and “3” for the
second paragraphs. and third, respectively:
a) Countries d) Latex extraction
b)Location of e) Transformation of
rubber tree latex
c) Collecting the gum f) Emptying it into vessels

4. On your answer sheet, number the following expressions on the

lines to the right, according to the order in which they are presented
in the reading:
a) Collecting the latex.
b) Mixing latex with water
c) Latex coagulation
d) Latex extraction
 2

FRAGMENT Nº 2

For eleven years Samuel Morse had been trying to interest

someone in his invention of the telegraph, enduring great difficulties to
carry out his experimentation. Finally in 1843, Congress approved an
appropriation of $30,000 for this purpose; and thus Morse was able to
quickly realize his invention of the telegraph.

In the spring of 1844, when the political parties were holding their
conventions, the telegraph was ready for practical application. This instrument
was able to notify the candidates and the people of Washington of the results
of the convention, before information could be obtained from other means. This
event sparked public interest and there was a general consensus that an
important event was happening. In this way the telegraph system grew rapidly
in thirty years, and spread throughout the world.

At first the telegraph was mechanically complicated, but with constant

research the instrument became simpler. In recent times, however, with the
complexity of modern life the system has become more complicated. Every city
has an intricate system of telegraph cables over the surface of the streets and
even the continents are connected by cables across the ocean.

The development of the telegraph has brought the entire world closer
together, providing a method where ideas and messages from around the
world can be carried and reached everyone in a minimum of time. This fact has
been greatly accelerated by the improvement of wireless telegraphy.

5. An intricate system is:

a) Complicated
b) Ancient
c) Radical
d) Intrinsic

6. When Morse wanted to experiment with his invention, it meant:

a) The application of principles
b) Test a hypothesis
c) Put an idea into practice
d) Carry out experiences

7. On your answer sheet, number the following expressions on the

lines to the right according to the order in which they are presented
in the reading:
a) The practical demonstration of the telegraph
b) The expansion of the use of the telegraph
c) The effects of the telegraph
d) The efforts of the inventor

8. From the following expressions, choose the best title for the entire
fragment:
a) The effects of the telegraph
 3

b) The Telegraph
c) The improvement of the telegraph
d) Wireless telegraphy
 4

FRAGMENT Nº 3

We will point out in the first place – with reference to the population that
lives within our borders, to which we refer all the time when we mention Peru
or Peruvians – that it is difficult to speak of Peruvian culture in the singular.
Rather, there are a multiplicity of separate cultures, also disparate in level and
breadth of diffusion, corresponding to various human groups that coexist in the
national territory.

Think, for example, of Spanish-speaking communities and communities

with other languages; in coastal Westernity, mountain Indianness and jungle
regionalism, in the Indian, the white, the cholo, the black, the Asian, the
European, as contrasting groups and in many reciprocally exclusive; in the
man from the countryside, the urban man and the primitive man from the
jungle, in the rustic man from the most remote areas of the country and the
refined intellectual of Lima, to which are added, like so many other
differentiated sectors, the artisan, the proletarian, the petty bourgeois, the
professional and other sectors of the middle class, the peasant, the provincial
landowner and the modern industrialist, not to mention the religious and
political differences that, intersecting with the previous ones, contribute to the
polarization of the national community. This cultural pluralism, which in an
effort to simplify, some seek to reduce to a duality, is therefore a typical feature
of our current life.

9. The topic presented would be located within:

a) Literature.
b) Economy
c) Ecology
d) Social sciences

10. For the author, when Peru or Peruvians are mentioned it should be
understood:
a) Subcultures of limited expression.
b) Multiplicity of separate cultures
c) Cultural uniformity of human groups
d) Subcultures of the same level of development.

11. The polarization of the national community refers to:

a) Exclusive reciprocity of human groups
b) Differentiated sectors of workers
c) Contrasted human groups
d) Dual character of the national community.

12. The central idea of the text is about:

a) Cultural pluralism of Peru
b) The coexistence of human groups in Peru
c) The uniqueness of Peruvian culture
d) The dualism of Peruvian culture.
 5

FRAGMENT Nº 4

Over a huge sea of muddy water, this strange vegetation has grown. It
is exclusively made up of the renaco, a plant that thrives especially in
places or in swamps, where it forms compact forests. When it sprouts
isolated, it grows quickly. Adventitious roots emerge from its first branches,
which develop downwards seeking the earth, but if a tree of another
species rises near one of them, it extends until it reaches it, one or more
twists around the stem and continues its path. journey to the earth, into
which it goes deeply. Since then, the renaco, coiled like a long snake,
adjusts its rings in a relentless process of strangulation that ends up
splitting the tree and throwing it to the ground. As this operation is carried
out with all the trees nearby, he ends up being left alone. From each of the
roots that served for strangulation sprout shoots that over time become
independent of the mother stem. And it frequently happens that, when they
do not find other species to attach themselves to, they form among
themselves a strange group that could be said to be a tree with multiple
deformed stems and layers that do not coincide with the trunks. Little by
little, developing its murderous property, the renaco is forming forests
where it does not allow the existence of any type of trees.

13. The renaco is a plant that grows especially in:

a) Fertile land
b) In the vicinity of the jungle
c) On the banks of a river
d) In swampy places

14. The fragment is about:

a) The characterization of the jungle
b) Forest vegetation
c) The description of a plant
d) The growth of plants.

15. The renaco is a plant, whose property is:

a) Destructive
b) Medicinal
c) Decorative
d) Productive

16. The description of the plant has been made in the form:
a) Biological
b) Genetics
c) Botany
d) Literary.

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

 6

- SHORT FORM –

FRAGMENT 1
FRAGMENT 3

1. abcd 9. abcd
2. abcd
3. a) Countries _______ 10. abcd
b) Location of the
rubber tree _______ 11. abcd
c) Collecting the rubber _______
d) Extraction of latex _______ 12. abcd
e) Transfer Latex _______
f) Emptying into _______ vessels
4. a) Collecting the latex _______
b) Mixing the latex with
water _______
c) Latex coagulation _______
d) Extraction of latex _______

FRAGMENT 2
FRAGMENT 4

13.abcd
5. abcd
6. abcd 14.abcd
7. a) The practical demonstration
of the telegraph _______ 15.abcd
b) The expansion of use
of the telegraph _______ 16. abcd
c) The effects of
Telegraph _______
d) The efforts of
inventor _______
8. abcd
7