ELA Informational Text 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student wants to find the meaning of a domain-specific word in a science textbook. The BEST first strategy is to:
- Skip the word and keep reading
- Check the book's glossary (Correct answer)
- Ask a classmate for a guess
- Replace the word with a synonym
Correct answer: Check the book's glossary
A glossary is specifically designed to define domain-specific or technical terms used within a textbook.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of an author's use of CONTRAST in an informational text?
- Listing the steps of a scientific process in order
- Describing how two different ecosystems differ in rainfall and vegetation (Correct answer)
- Explaining why deforestation causes flooding
- Retelling the history of a national park year by year
Correct answer: Describing how two different ecosystems differ in rainfall and vegetation
Contrast highlights differences between two or more subjects, such as comparing ecosystems by their distinct characteristics.
Question 3: When summarizing an informational text, a student should:
- Include every detail mentioned in the text
- Restate only the main ideas and key supporting details in their own words (Correct answer)
- Copy sentences directly from the text
- Add their own opinions about the topic
Correct answer: Restate only the main ideas and key supporting details in their own words
A good summary captures the main ideas and essential details using the reader's own words, without copying or adding opinions.
Question 4: An editorial argues that the school lunch program should be expanded. This text is BEST described as:
- Objective because it discusses school lunches
- Persuasive because it advocates for a specific position (Correct answer)
- Narrative because it tells a story about a student
- Expository because it defines nutrition terms
Correct answer: Persuasive because it advocates for a specific position
An editorial that argues for a specific policy position is persuasive because it aims to influence the reader's opinion.
Question 5: A graph in an informational text shows a steady decline in bee populations over 20 years. What does this visual aid PRIMARILY help the reader do?
- Understand the author's personal feelings about bees
- Visualize the trend in data more clearly than words alone (Correct answer)
- Learn the scientific classification of bee species
- Identify which states have the most bees
Correct answer: Visualize the trend in data more clearly than words alone
Graphs translate data into a visual format, making it easier to spot trends such as a steady decline over time.
Question 6: Which question helps a reader evaluate the RELEVANCE of a source for a research report on ocean pollution?
- Is the source written in an interesting style?
- Does the source directly address the topic of ocean pollution? (Correct answer)
- Is the source longer than five pages?
- Was the source written by a famous author?
Correct answer: Does the source directly address the topic of ocean pollution?
Relevance means that the source's content directly relates to the research topic being investigated.
Question 7: An author uses the phrase 'in other words' in an informational text. What does this signal to the reader?
- The author is changing the subject entirely
- The author is about to restate or clarify a previous idea (Correct answer)
- The author is quoting another expert
- The author is introducing a counterargument
Correct answer: The author is about to restate or clarify a previous idea
'In other words' is a transitional phrase signaling that the author is restating or clarifying a concept in simpler terms.
ELA Informational Text 3
A student wants to find the meaning of a domain-specific word in a science textbook.
The BEST first strategy is to: