Nelson-Denny Reading Test Reading Comprehension: Analyzing Textual Evidence 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 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:
- The claim is automatically false
- A key piece of supporting evidence is missing and the claim cannot be fully evaluated (Correct answer)
- The author is being deceptive
- The claim should be accepted based on the author's authority
Correct 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.
Question 2: 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:
- Statistical proof that project-based learning is superior nationwide
- A firsthand perspective that adds qualitative support to the argument (Correct answer)
- An irrelevant opinion that weakens the passage
- A counter-argument the author is about to refute
Correct 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.
Question 3: Which question is most useful for evaluating whether evidence in a passage is relevant to the author's main claim?
- Is the evidence emotionally compelling?
- Does the evidence directly address the specific claim the author is making? (Correct answer)
- Is the evidence located in the first paragraph?
- Does the evidence include numbers or percentages?
Correct 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.
Question 4: 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:
- Uses an emotional appeal to create sympathy
- Makes an abstract quantity concrete and relatable through comparison (Correct answer)
- Proves that deforestation will continue indefinitely
- Quotes an authoritative scientific organization
Correct 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.
Question 5: A passage presents the claim: 'Regular exercise prevents all chronic diseases.' Which piece of evidence would most directly challenge this claim?
- A study showing exercise reduces heart disease risk by 30%
- Research showing that some chronic diseases occur in elite athletes who exercise daily (Correct answer)
- A doctor recommending 150 minutes of exercise per week
- A statistic showing that sedentary people have higher mortality rates
Correct 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.
Question 6: When a passage uses the phrase 'studies show,' without naming the studies, a critical reader should:
- Assume the studies are legitimate because the author included them
- Question whether the unnamed studies are reliable or even exist (Correct answer)
- Dismiss the entire passage as untrustworthy
- Look for the studies in a footnote before reading further
Correct 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.
Question 7: 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?
- Find any sentence in the passage that mentions money or economics
- Locate specific statements where the author explicitly ranks economic factors above other causes (Correct answer)
- Choose the sentence with the most emotional language
- Select the longest paragraph in the passage
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.
Nelson-Denny Reading Test Reading Comprehension: Analyzing Textual Evidence 4
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: