Reading Comprehension: Analyzing Textual Evidence Flashcards

A reader encounters the phrase 'as evidenced by the data in Table 2' in a passage. If no table is provided, the reader should recognize that:

Answer: A key piece of supporting evidence is missing and the claim cannot be fully evaluated

When referenced evidence is absent, the reader lacks the information needed to assess whether the claim is actually supported.

In a reading passage about education reform, the author quotes a teacher saying, 'My students perform better with project-based learning.' This quote serves primarily as:

Answer: A firsthand perspective that adds qualitative support to the argument

A practitioner's direct experience functions as qualitative, firsthand evidence that complements other forms of support in an argument.

Which question is most useful for evaluating whether evidence in a passage is relevant to the author's main claim?

Answer: Does the evidence directly address the specific claim the author is making?

Relevance is determined by whether the evidence logically connects to and supports the specific claim, regardless of its emotional impact or placement.

A passage about deforestation states: 'Between 2000 and 2020, the Amazon lost an area roughly the size of France.' This statistic is most effective as evidence because it:

Answer: Makes an abstract quantity concrete and relatable through comparison

Comparing the lost area to France gives readers a tangible frame of reference, making the scale of deforestation immediately understandable.

A passage presents the claim: 'Regular exercise prevents all chronic diseases.' Which piece of evidence would most directly challenge this claim?

Answer: Research showing that some chronic diseases occur in elite athletes who exercise daily

Evidence that some chronic diseases affect regular exercisers directly contradicts the absolute claim that exercise prevents 'all' chronic diseases.

When a passage uses the phrase 'studies show,' without naming the studies, a critical reader should:

Answer: Question whether the unnamed studies are reliable or even exist

Unnamed studies cannot be evaluated for quality, sample size, or methodology, making them weak and unverifiable evidence.

A student is asked to find evidence that a passage's author believes economic factors are the primary cause of social inequality. Which approach is correct?

Answer: Locate specific statements where the author explicitly ranks economic factors above other causes

Finding the author's actual ranking or prioritization of causes requires locating statements that directly compare or rank economic factors relative to others.