Literature: Nonfiction Text Analysis Flashcards

A nonfiction author writes about deforestation and includes a graph showing forest loss over 50 years. The graph primarily serves to:

Answer: Visually support and quantify the author's claims

Graphs provide visual, quantitative evidence that reinforces the author's written claims and helps readers grasp trends quickly.

When an author writes a letter to the editor arguing against a city council decision, the PRIMARY purpose is most likely to:

Answer: Persuade readers and the council to change course

A letter to the editor responding to a policy decision is fundamentally persuasive, aiming to change minds or prompt action.

A student reads a paragraph that begins with a claim, provides two facts, includes an expert quote, and ends by restating the claim. This structure is an example of:

Answer: A well-developed body paragraph with evidence and synthesis

A claim supported by facts and expert testimony, then reinforced with a restatement, is the standard structure of a well-developed argumentative body paragraph.

Which of the following is the BEST way to distinguish between an author's stated purpose and the actual effect of a text?

Answer: Compare what the author claims to do with how the text actually makes readers think or feel

Evaluating stated purpose against actual effect requires analyzing both the author's explicit goals and the text's emotional and intellectual impact on the reader.

An author of an op-ed uses the pronoun 'we' throughout the article. The effect of this choice is most likely to:

Answer: Build a sense of shared identity and collective responsibility

Using 'we' invites readers into a shared community, making them feel implicated in the problem and more receptive to the author's call to action.

A student is asked to evaluate whether an argument is valid. After reading the text, the student finds that the author's conclusion does not logically follow from the evidence provided. This is called:

Answer: A non sequitur or logical fallacy

When a conclusion does not follow logically from the premises, the argument contains a non sequitur, a fundamental logical fallacy.

On the Keystone Exam, when asked to 'cite evidence from the text,' a student should:

Answer: Include exact words or specific details from the passage to support the response

Citing textual evidence means selecting and incorporating specific words, phrases, or details from the passage that directly support the student's claim.