ELA Informational Text 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An author writing a scientific article lists causes before discussing their effects. Which text structure is being used?
- Compare and contrast
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Problem and solution
- Chronological order
Correct answer: Cause and effect
Cause and effect structure presents reasons (causes) and the results (effects) that follow from them.
Question 2: A reader notices that a news article uses mostly unnamed sources. What concern does this raise?
- The article has too many facts
- The article may lack credibility and be hard to verify (Correct answer)
- The article is written for experts only
- The article is too long
Correct answer: The article may lack credibility and be hard to verify
Unnamed sources make claims difficult to verify, which weakens the credibility and reliability of the article.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes an 'objective' informational text?
- One that argues strongly for one viewpoint
- One that presents facts without personal bias (Correct answer)
- One that uses emotional language throughout
- One that includes the author's personal opinions
Correct answer: One that presents facts without personal bias
Objective writing presents facts and evidence without letting the author's personal feelings or opinions influence the content.
Question 4: A student reads two articles about climate change. Article A cites peer-reviewed studies; Article B cites social media posts. Which source is more credible, and why?
- Article B, because social media is updated more frequently
- Article A, because peer-reviewed studies undergo expert evaluation (Correct answer)
- Both are equally credible
- Article B, because more people read social media
Correct answer: Article A, because peer-reviewed studies undergo expert evaluation
Peer-reviewed studies are evaluated by subject-matter experts, making them far more reliable than unverified social media posts.
Question 5: When an author provides a definition immediately after an unfamiliar technical term, this technique is called:
- Inference
- Paraphrasing
- In-text definition (Correct answer)
- Summarizing
Correct answer: In-text definition
An in-text definition is when the author directly explains the meaning of a term within the same sentence or passage.
Question 6: Which sentence from an informational text contains a FACT rather than an opinion?
- The new policy is the best decision the city has ever made.
- Everyone should support renewable energy sources.
- The population of the city grew by 12% between 2010 and 2020. (Correct answer)
- The mayor is not doing enough to address housing issues.
Correct answer: The population of the city grew by 12% between 2010 and 2020.
A fact is a statement that can be verified with evidence; population growth figures are measurable and verifiable.
Question 7: A text uses subheadings, bold terms, and numbered lists. What is the PRIMARY purpose of these features?
- To make the text appear longer
- To help readers navigate and identify key information quickly (Correct answer)
- To replace the need for a conclusion
- To add personal opinions in a subtle way
Correct answer: To help readers navigate and identify key information quickly
Text features like subheadings, bold terms, and lists help readers organize and locate important information efficiently.
ELA Informational Text 2
An author writing a scientific article lists causes before discussing their effects.
Which text structure is being used?