EAP Reading Skills 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A research article states its findings 'suggest' rather than 'prove' a relationship. Why is this word choice significant?
- The study used a biased sample
- The author is using hedging language to express appropriate academic caution (Correct answer)
- The findings were not statistically tested
- The journal required this phrasing
Correct answer: The author is using hedging language to express appropriate academic caution
Using 'suggest' is a form of hedging that acknowledges limitations and avoids overstating conclusions.
Question 2: Which question is MOST useful for critically evaluating the credibility of an academic source?
- Is the article longer than five pages?
- Was it published in a peer-reviewed journal by an identified author with relevant credentials? (Correct answer)
- Does it agree with the other sources I've already found?
- Is it available for free online?
Correct answer: Was it published in a peer-reviewed journal by an identified author with relevant credentials?
Peer review, identified authorship, and relevant credentials are key indicators of academic credibility.
Question 3: What does 'reading between the lines' mean in academic contexts?
- Reading the footnotes and endnotes of a text
- Inferring meaning that is implied but not explicitly stated (Correct answer)
- Reading every other sentence to save time
- Looking for the author's biography in the text
Correct answer: Inferring meaning that is implied but not explicitly stated
Reading between the lines refers to making inferences about unstated assumptions or implied meanings in a text.
Question 4: A paragraph begins with: 'Urban air pollution has increased dramatically over the past decade.' This sentence is MOST likely functioning as a:
- Concluding sentence
- Supporting detail
- Topic sentence (Correct answer)
- Transitional sentence
Correct answer: Topic sentence
A topic sentence introduces the main idea of a paragraph, as this sentence does for a paragraph about urban air pollution.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of primary source material?
- A textbook chapter summarizing climate research
- A literature review article comparing multiple studies
- A journal article reporting original experimental data (Correct answer)
- A news article about a scientific discovery
Correct answer: A journal article reporting original experimental data
A primary source presents original research or data directly, rather than summarizing or interpreting others' work.
Question 6: What is the function of a 'literature review' section in an academic paper?
- To analyze a work of fiction related to the topic
- To summarize and evaluate existing research relevant to the study (Correct answer)
- To list all books the author has ever read
- To describe the methodology used in the current study
Correct answer: To summarize and evaluate existing research relevant to the study
A literature review surveys and critically evaluates prior research to establish the context and gap that the current study addresses.
Question 7: An EAP student encounters the word 'ubiquitous' in a text. Using context clues, which nearby phrase would BEST help determine its meaning?
- 'rarely observed in nature'
- 'found everywhere and in all situations' (Correct answer)
- 'difficult to measure accurately'
- 'recently discovered by researchers'
Correct answer: 'found everywhere and in all situations'
The phrase 'found everywhere and in all situations' matches the meaning of 'ubiquitous' and serves as an effective context clue.
EAP Reading Skills 4
A research article states its findings 'suggest' rather than 'prove' a relationship.
Why is this word choice significant?