Popular Searches:
The TEAS solar panel passage covers White House solar panel installations from Carter through Obama. It tests inference skills, bias detection, and main idea identification. Students must analyze historical decisions about renewable energy and answer 4-6 comprehension questions in under 8 minutes.
The solar panel passage appears in the reading section of the ATI TEAS 7 exam. It’s an informational text that tracks the history of solar panel installations at the White House across three presidential administrations.
This passage runs 300-400 words and presents a straightforward historical narrative. You’ll read about energy policy decisions spanning from 1979 to 2010. The TEAS includes this passage because it tests your ability to extract meaning from factual text, identify author bias, and make supported inferences.
The passage differs from other TEAS reading materials because it combines historical facts with implicit political commentary. You need to separate objective information from subjective language. Test makers use this passage to assess whether you can read critically and distinguish between fact and opinion.
Most students spend 7-8 minutes on this passage and its questions. The reading takes 2-3 minutes. The remaining time goes to answering 4-6 multiple-choice questions that probe your understanding.
The passage opens with President Jimmy Carter’s 1979 decision to install solar panels on the White House roof. Carter described these panels as “a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American People.” This quote signals his view that renewable energy represented a major national priority.
The narrative then shifts to President Ronald Reagan’s administration. In 1986, Reagan removed the solar panels during roof repairs. The passage notes these panels were never reinstalled during his tenure. This detail matters because it reveals policy priorities through action rather than statements.
The final section covers President Barack Obama’s 2010 decision to install new solar panels. Obama framed this choice as part of his administration’s environmental focus. The passage positions this as a return to Carter’s original vision after a 24-year gap.
The structure follows a simple chronological pattern. Each paragraph focuses on one president’s decision. The passage avoids technical details about solar technology. Instead, it examines how different administrations approached renewable energy symbolically and practically.
Pay attention to the dates: 1979, 1986, and 2010. Questions frequently ask you to sequence events or identify time gaps between decisions. The passage also emphasizes what didn’t happen—Reagan choosing not to reinstall the panels matters as much as the installations themselves.
These questions ask you to identify the passage’s central theme. The correct answer for this passage focuses on how presidential philosophies shaped White House energy decisions over three decades.
Wrong answers typically focus on details rather than the big picture. For example, “The White House was the first building in America to have solar panels” is a specific claim, not the main idea. The passage centers on policy evolution, not architectural firsts.
When you see a main idea question, ask yourself: What topic connects all three paragraphs? What would a one-sentence summary of this passage say? Your answer should be broad enough to cover the entire text but specific enough to capture its actual focus.
Look for answer choices that mention multiple presidents or energy policy changes. Avoid answers that only reference one administration or focus on technical aspects of solar panels.
Inference questions require you to draw conclusions supported by the passage’s evidence. A common question asks: “Which inference can be made about Carter?” The passage supports the inference that “Carter was ahead of his time” based on his early adoption of solar technology and his quote about American adventure.
Valid inferences connect directly to passage content. If the text says Reagan removed panels and never reinstalled them, you can infer that solar energy wasn’t a priority for his administration. You cannot infer Reagan opposed all environmental initiatives—the passage doesn’t provide that information.
Test wrong answers by asking: Does the passage actually support this? Eliminate any inference that requires outside knowledge or makes leaps beyond the text. Stick to conclusions you can defend with specific sentences or phrases from the passage.
The TEAS penalizes test-takers who bring their own opinions to inference questions. Your political views about these presidents don’t matter. Only use the evidence the passage provides.
These questions test whether you can spot subjective language. The passage contains at least one example of biased language: the 2010 Obama sentence that frames solar panel installation as “part of his administration’s focus on environmental issues.”
This phrasing carries positive bias because “focus on environmental issues” implies proactive, beneficial action. Neutral language would simply state “Obama installed solar panels in 2010” without the evaluative framing.
Biased language includes loaded words, value judgments, or phrasing that favors one interpretation. Look for adjectives that signal approval or disapproval. Words like “finally,” “unfortunately,” “wisely,” or “failed to” often indicate bias.
Compare biased statements to neutral alternatives. “In 2010, President Barack Obama decided to install solar panels” presents a fact. “President Obama wisely returned to Carter’s vision” injects opinion through “wisely” and suggests Carter’s approach was correct.
You might also see questions asking which sentence is most neutral or objective. Choose the option that sticks to verifiable facts without emotional language or interpretive framing.
Work through informational passages in your TEAS prep materials daily. Spend 15-20 minutes on reading practice. Focus on passages covering history, science developments, or policy changes. These mirror the solar panel passage structure and question types.
Develop your scanning skills. Practice finding specific information quickly. Time yourself: Can you locate “1986” or “Reagan” in under 10 seconds? Efficient scanning helps during questions when you need to verify an answer against the text.
Read news articles critically. Identify main ideas, spot biased language, and practice making text-supported inferences. Quality newspapers offer good practice because they mix factual reporting with occasional opinion framing. This builds the skill of separating objective content from subjective language.
Create your own questions after reading practice passages. Write one main idea question, one inference question, and one bias question for each passage. This forces you to think like a test writer. You’ll better recognize question patterns on exam day.
Track your time on practice passages. Start with no time limit. Once you’re accurate, add the 7-8 minute constraint. Build speed gradually. Rushing before you’re consistently correct leads to careless errors.
Join study groups where you explain passages to others. Teaching someone else exposes gaps in your understanding. If you can’t clearly articulate why an answer is correct, you need more practice with that question type.
Review both right and wrong answers. Don’t just check if you got a question correct—understand why each wrong answer fails. This teaches you to recognize common trap answers. TEAS questions often include plausible but incorrect choices designed to catch test-takers who skim.
The solar panel passage tests skills you’ll use throughout the TEAS reading section and in nursing school. Build competence with informational texts now. Your ability to extract meaning from factual material, identify bias, and make evidence-based conclusions will serve you well beyond test day.
