NCDAP Critical Reading 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage uses the phrase 'it could be argued that.' What does this signal about the author's tone?
- The author is presenting an absolute fact.
- The author is being cautious and acknowledging other viewpoints. (Correct answer)
- The author is dismissing opposing views.
- The author is quoting another source directly.
Correct answer: The author is being cautious and acknowledging other viewpoints.
Hedging language like 'could be argued' signals the author is not asserting certainty and recognizes other perspectives.
Question 2: Which organizational pattern is used in a passage that first describes a problem and then proposes a solution?
- Chronological order
- Compare and contrast
- Problem-solution (Correct answer)
- Cause and effect
Correct answer: Problem-solution
A passage structured around identifying a problem and then proposing a remedy follows a problem-solution pattern.
Question 3: In reading, what is the purpose of a 'counterargument' in a persuasive essay?
- To prove the author's main point is wrong
- To show the author has considered opposing views before refuting them (Correct answer)
- To introduce unrelated information
- To replace the thesis statement
Correct answer: To show the author has considered opposing views before refuting them
A counterargument acknowledges opposing views, which strengthens the essay by showing the author has considered and addressed them.
Question 4: The word 'skeptical' in a passage most likely indicates that a character or author is:
- Enthusiastically supportive
- Doubtful and questioning (Correct answer)
- Completely uninformed
- Emotionally distressed
Correct answer: Doubtful and questioning
'Skeptical' means inclined to question or doubt claims rather than accept them at face value.
Question 5: A passage compares two historical events to draw a lesson about leadership. What is the author's primary purpose?
- To entertain readers with historical stories
- To use past examples to support a broader argument about leadership (Correct answer)
- To prove one event was more important than the other
- To provide a factual timeline of history
Correct answer: To use past examples to support a broader argument about leadership
Using historical comparisons to illustrate a principle is a common persuasive and analytical strategy.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of an inference?
- The passage states the character is angry.
- The character slams the door, suggesting she is upset. (Correct answer)
- The author defines the word 'melancholy' in the text.
- The passage says it is raining outside.
Correct answer: The character slams the door, suggesting she is upset.
An inference is a logical conclusion drawn from clues in the text rather than from directly stated information.
Question 7: A passage presents data showing that ice cream sales and drowning rates both rise in summer. What error in reasoning would it be to conclude that ice cream causes drowning?
- False analogy
- Slippery slope
- Confusing correlation with causation (Correct answer)
- Appeal to authority
Correct answer: Confusing correlation with causation
Both variables are driven by a third factor (hot weather), so assuming one causes the other is a correlation-causation error.
NCDAP Critical Reading 3
A passage uses the phrase 'it could be argued that.' What does this signal about the author's tone?