Mixed Deck — All LEAP Topics Flashcards

A student wants to argue that online learning improves student performance. Which evidence would be LEAST useful?

Answer: A personal blog post from one student who prefers online classes

A single personal blog post is an anecdotal, non-peer-reviewed source and provides weak, subjective evidence.

Read the sentence: "The gentle breeze rustled the leaves, creating a soothing melody in the quiet forest." What literary device is used here?

Answer: Personification

Personification is a literary device where human qualities or actions are attributed to inanimate objects or abstract ideas. In the sentence, the 'breeze rustled the leaves, creating a soothing melody,' which gives the non-human breeze and leaves the human-like ability to create music.

A store marks up items by 25%. If an item costs $48 wholesale, what is the selling price?

Answer: $60

A 25% markup on $48 is $48 × 0.25 = $12; the selling price is $48 + $12 = $60.

A model shows Earth, the Sun, and Moon with the Moon between Earth and the Sun but slightly above the orbital plane. What event does this represent?

Answer: A new moon with no eclipse

Because the Moon's orbit is tilted about 5 degrees relative to Earth's orbital plane, most new moons pass above or below the Sun-Earth line without causing an eclipse.

Which grade level is often considered the 'gateway' assessment in Louisiana because promotion decisions can be tied to LEAP results?

Answer: Grade 3

Grade 3 is the key gateway assessment in Louisiana where reading proficiency results can affect promotion to Grade 4.

Which element is NOT a required component of a strong evidence-based body paragraph?

Answer: A personal anecdote from the writer's life

Strong evidence-based paragraphs require a claim, evidence, and analysis; personal anecdotes are generally not required and may weaken academic arguments.

A student notices that a graph's y-axis starts at 500 instead of 0. How might this affect interpretation of the data?

Answer: It makes differences between bars appear larger than they actually are

When the y-axis does not start at zero, small differences between values can look much larger, potentially misleading the reader.

Which molecule is known as the energy currency of the cell?

Answer: ATP

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the primary molecule that stores and transfers energy within cells, making it the 'energy currency' of life. Cells break down ATP to release energy for various metabolic processes, such as muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission, and protein synthesis.

A pie chart shows that 45% of a school's waste is paper, 30% is food, 15% is plastic, and 10% is other. Which waste type makes up the largest share?

Answer: Paper

Paper represents 45% of the waste, which is the largest portion shown in the pie chart.

The word 'contagious' appears in a health article. A reader uses the surrounding sentences, which mention spreading illness between people, to figure out its meaning. This strategy is called:

Answer: Using context clues

Using nearby words and sentences to determine an unfamiliar word's meaning is the context clues strategy.

When should a writer use a direct quote instead of a paraphrase?

Answer: When the original wording is especially powerful or precise and would be weakened by rewording

Direct quotes are best used when the author's exact words carry unique authority, impact, or precision that paraphrasing would diminish.

Which writing technique is used when a student restates evidence in their own words rather than quoting it directly?

Answer: Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing means expressing source material in your own words while retaining the original meaning, still requiring a citation.

What is the term for the point in Earth's orbit when it is closest to the Sun?

Answer: Perihelion

Perihelion is the point in Earth's orbit where it is closest to the Sun, occurring around January 3rd.

A scientist graphs the relationship between sunlight hours and crop yield. The data points form a positive correlation. What does this mean?

Answer: As sunlight hours increase, crop yield also increases

A positive correlation means both variables increase together — more sunlight corresponds to higher crop yield.

A crescent moon is visible just after sunset in the western sky. What phase is the Moon in?

Answer: Waxing crescent

A waxing crescent appears shortly after a new moon and is visible in the western sky just after sunset.

A scientist is studying the effect of different types of soil on the growth of bean plants. She plants identical bean seeds in pots containing either sandy soil, clay soil, or loam. Each pot is placed in the same location to receive the same amount of sunlight and is given the same amount of water each day. After four weeks, she measures the height of each plant. In this experiment, what is the dependent variable?

Answer: The height of the bean plants.

The dependent variable is the factor that is measured or observed to see how it is affected by changes in the independent variable. In this case, the scientist is measuring the plant height to see how it depends on the type of soil used.

A student claims: 'Social media negatively affects teens.' Which of the following is the STRONGEST supporting evidence?

Answer: A 2021 Journal of Adolescence study found a 30% increase in anxiety among daily social media users aged 13–18.

The peer-reviewed journal study provides specific, measurable, and credible data directly tied to the claim about teens.

What is the primary source of energy for life on Earth?

Answer: The Sun

The Sun is the ultimate and primary source of energy for almost all life on Earth. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants convert solar energy into chemical energy, forming the base of most food chains and sustaining nearly all ecosystems and living organisms.

A student writes: 'The article says school uniforms help students.' What is missing from this evidence introduction?

Answer: The specific title of the article and/or its author

Effective evidence introduction requires identifying the specific source by title or author so the reader can evaluate its credibility.

A student is evaluating two online articles about the benefits of renewable energy. Article A is a blog post written by an anonymous author, which includes several personal anecdotes but no links to external data. Article B is published on a government agency's website, written by a climate scientist, and includes numerous citations to peer-reviewed studies. To support a research claim, which article provides more credible evidence?

Answer: Article B, because it is written by a qualified expert and supported by verifiable data.

According to the principles of analyzing informational texts, credibility is established through expertise, evidence, and objectivity. Article B demonstrates these qualities through the author's credentials (climate scientist), its publication on a reputable source (government agency), and its use of verifiable, cited evidence (peer-reviewed studies).