Nelson-Denny Reading Test Reading Comprehension: Analyzing Textual Evidence 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage reads: 'The organization spent 80% of its budget on administrative costs and only 20% on direct services.' Which claim is best supported by this evidence?
- The organization is fraudulent
- The organization prioritizes administration over direct services in its spending (Correct answer)
- The organization will soon go bankrupt
- Direct services are less important than administration
Correct answer: The organization prioritizes administration over direct services in its spending
The budget breakdown directly shows where spending is prioritized, without implying intent or future outcomes beyond the data.
Question 2: In a Nelson-Denny passage, which strategy best helps a reader identify which sentences function as textual evidence versus which are the author's conclusions?
- Identify sentences containing specific facts, statistics, or examples versus interpretive claims (Correct answer)
- Assume the first sentence of each paragraph is evidence and the last is conclusion
- Look for sentences written in past tense as evidence
- Count the number of adjectives in each sentence
Correct answer: Identify sentences containing specific facts, statistics, or examples versus interpretive claims
Distinguishing factual details and examples from interpretive statements is the core skill for separating evidence from conclusions.
Question 3: A passage argues that urban parks improve mental health and cites a study in which 'participants reported feeling less stressed after 20 minutes in a park.' This evidence directly supports which claim?
- Urban parks eliminate mental illness
- Short time in a park is associated with self-reported stress reduction (Correct answer)
- All urban residents need parks to stay healthy
- Stress is the only mental health concern parks address
Correct answer: Short time in a park is associated with self-reported stress reduction
The study measures self-reported stress reduction after a specific duration, which directly matches the narrower claim about stress and short park visits.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of using textual evidence incorrectly?
- Quoting a specific line from the passage to support a claim
- Citing a statistic from the passage that directly relates to the argument
- Using a passage detail about one character to make a claim about all characters in the story (Correct answer)
- Referencing the author's stated purpose to explain the passage's tone
Correct answer: Using a passage detail about one character to make a claim about all characters in the story
Overgeneralizing from a single example to a broader group misuses textual evidence by extending it beyond its actual scope.
Question 5: A passage states: 'Sales dropped in January, rose in February, and dropped again in March.' Based solely on this, a reader can conclude that:
- Sales are in long-term decline
- Sales fluctuated over the three-month period (Correct answer)
- February is always the best month for sales
- The company will recover by summer
Correct answer: Sales fluctuated over the three-month period
The only conclusion directly supported by the three data points is that sales went up and down, i.e., fluctuated.
Question 6: When analyzing a persuasive passage, a reader notices that the author only cites studies that support their argument. This is an example of:
- Strong use of textual evidence
- Selective use of evidence that may present a one-sided view (Correct answer)
- Effective summarizing of all available research
- Objective scientific reporting
Correct answer: Selective use of evidence that may present a one-sided view
Choosing only supporting evidence while ignoring contrary studies is cherry-picking, which undermines the completeness and fairness of an argument.
Question 7: A passage describes a scientist who 'published over 50 peer-reviewed articles.' How does this detail function in the passage?
- It proves the scientist's conclusions are always correct
- It establishes the scientist's credibility as an expert source (Correct answer)
- It shows the scientist has too much work to be reliable
- It is irrelevant background information
Correct answer: It establishes the scientist's credibility as an expert source
Publication volume in peer-reviewed journals is used as evidence of expertise, lending authority to the scientist's statements in the passage.
Nelson-Denny Reading Test Reading Comprehension: Analyzing Textual Evidence 3
A passage reads: 'The organization spent 80% of its budget on administrative costs and only 20% on direct services.' Which claim is best supported by this evidence?