EAP Reading Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a passage uses the phrase 'notwithstanding the evidence presented,' what is the author signaling?
- A contrast or concession is about to follow (Correct answer)
- The evidence fully supports the claim
- The author is summarizing previous points
- A new topic is being introduced
Correct answer: A contrast or concession is about to follow
'Notwithstanding' signals a concession, meaning the author will argue against or qualify what was just stated.
Question 2: Which reading strategy is MOST effective for locating specific data in a long academic text?
- Reading every word carefully from start to finish
- Scanning headings and then using keywords to locate the data (Correct answer)
- Summarizing each paragraph before moving on
- Reading only the introduction and conclusion
Correct answer: Scanning headings and then using keywords to locate the data
Scanning for keywords after checking headings efficiently locates specific information without reading the entire text.
Question 3: A passage states: 'The results were statistically significant (p < 0.05).' What does this indicate to an academic reader?
- The study had a large sample size
- The findings are unlikely to be due to chance (Correct answer)
- The experiment was repeated five times
- The data was collected over five months
Correct answer: The findings are unlikely to be due to chance
A p-value below 0.05 indicates that results have less than a 5% probability of occurring by chance.
Question 4: In academic reading, what does 'the author's stance' refer to?
- The physical position of text on the page
- The author's opinion or position on the topic (Correct answer)
- The methodology used in research
- The credentials of the author
Correct answer: The author's opinion or position on the topic
An author's stance is their viewpoint or attitude toward the subject being discussed.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a hedging phrase in academic writing?
- This proves beyond doubt
- The data clearly demonstrates
- It may be suggested that (Correct answer)
- All experts agree that
Correct answer: It may be suggested that
'It may be suggested that' uses hedging language to qualify a claim and avoid overstatement.
Question 6: A student reads the abstract of a journal article before deciding whether to read the full paper. This is an example of which skill?
- Close reading
- Annotating
- Evaluating source relevance (Correct answer)
- Paraphrasing
Correct answer: Evaluating source relevance
Reading the abstract to judge whether the full article is useful demonstrates source relevance evaluation.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a 'counterargument' section in an academic text?
- To list all sources the author disagrees with
- To present opposing views before refuting or addressing them (Correct answer)
- To summarize the author's main thesis
- To provide background information on the topic
Correct answer: To present opposing views before refuting or addressing them
A counterargument section acknowledges opposing perspectives, which the author then typically refutes to strengthen their position.
EAP Reading Skills 2
When a passage uses the phrase 'notwithstanding the evidence presented,' what is the author signaling?