...1981. the performance of this cohort remained at virtually the same level in literal comprehension (locating or remembering the exact meaning of a word, sentence, or paragraph) and reference skills (applying reading behavior to problem-solving), a significant decline, strongest...

...answering questions requiring literal comprehension was 72 percent. Literal comprehension involves locating or remembering the exact meaning of a word, sentence or paragraph from a reading passage. There was no change in literal comprehension throughout the 1970s at the national...