Choose the statement that is best supported by the information given in the…

Concept: In a "best supported by the passage" question, the right choice is the statement that follows directly from what the passage actually states — nothing added, narrowed, or invented.

Application: The passage says reading critically is a demanding process that requires slowing down, marking up the text with reactions, conclusions, and questions, and becoming an active participant. Every one of these actions describes careful, thoughtful engagement with the text — which is exactly what "critical reading requires thoughtful and careful attention" states.

• critical reading is a slow, dull, but essential process — the passage does say reading should be slowed down, but it never calls the process dull; it instead frames it as active, engaged participation, the opposite of dull.

• the best critical reading happens at critical times in a person's life — this trades on the double meaning of "critical" (careful vs. crucial); the passage describes HOW to read critically, never WHEN in a person's life to do it.

• readers should get in the habit of questioning the truth of what they read — the passage lists marking up reactions, conclusions, AND questions together; narrowing this to only verifying truth ignores the other two actions and is not what the passage as a whole supports.

Result: Only the statement about thoughtful, careful attention is supported by every detail in the passage, so it is the best-supported statement.