Which of the following most closely matches the definition of “egregious” as used in Paragraph 26? "As a moral matter, it is OK for a government to say, even if there is a possibility that someone will rehabilitate themselves, if a person commits a sufficiently egregious crime, then they just deserve a very severe sentence," Neiman says.

A)circumstantial or uncommon

B)outstandingly bad or shocking

C)indicative of poor character

D) unusual and surprising

Answers:

1. Lance Kenniston needed a ship to get to an asteroid, but nothing was available.

The most important detail of the passage is the fact that Lance Kenniston needs a ship urgently, but cannot find it. The name of his friend, or his physical characteristics are not vital to the action. Similarly, the name of the port is not the most important part of the passage. Finally, although the characters' desperation is important, it is even more valuable to know the reason for their desperation.

2. A. It tells readers there is something important happening on that asteroid.

If the characters are desperate to get back to the asteroid, we can assume something important is going to happen there within the next two weeks. We do not know whether they are planning on taking it over, whether they are at the wrong location, or whether Kenniston has not tried hard enough. Therefore, none of the other options is possible.