Reading Comprehension: Analyzing Textual Evidence Flashcards

A passage about climate policy states: 'Countries that signed the agreement saw emissions fall by an average of 18%.' Which of the following additional facts would most strengthen the claim that the agreement caused the reduction?

Answer: Countries that did not sign the agreement saw no significant change in emissions over the same period

A comparison group with different outcomes strengthens causal claims by showing the reduction occurred specifically among signatories, not across all countries.

In a Nelson-Denny passage, you read: 'The forest had been silent for years—no birds, no insects.' This detail most directly supports which inference?

Answer: The ecosystem had experienced a significant disruption affecting wildlife

The absence of birds and insects, typically abundant in healthy forests, is textual evidence of an ecological disruption.

A passage makes the argument that 'reading fiction builds empathy.' The strongest textual evidence to support this would be:

Answer: A study measuring empathy scores in participants before and after a fiction-reading program

A before-and-after study directly measures the effect of fiction reading on empathy, providing the most direct empirical support for the causal claim.

A reader finds two passages about the same medical treatment. Passage A calls it 'highly effective' citing one small study; Passage B calls it 'inconclusive' citing ten large studies. Which passage has stronger textual evidence?

Answer: Passage B, because it draws on a larger and broader body of research

Larger, multiple studies provide a stronger evidence base than a single small study, making Passage B's claim better supported despite its more cautious language.

Which of the following best defines 'textual evidence' in the context of reading comprehension?

Answer: Specific words, phrases, or details from the text that support a claim or inference

Textual evidence consists of actual content from the passage—words, phrases, data, or examples—used to justify a reading or claim.

A passage describes a company's growth with these details: 'Revenue doubled in Year 1, tripled in Year 2, and grew 5% in Year 3.' The most accurate characterization of this evidence is:

Answer: Rapid initial growth that slowed dramatically by Year 3

Moving from doubling and tripling to 5% growth shows a sharp deceleration, which the evidence directly supports as slowing growth.

A student wants to prove that a passage's narrator is unreliable. Which piece of textual evidence would best support this claim?

Answer: Events the narrator describes are later contradicted by other characters' accounts in the same passage

Contradictions between the narrator's account and other verifiable accounts within the text are the most direct evidence of unreliability.