NJGPA Analyzing Author's Craft and Text Structure in Informational Texts 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An author writing about water conservation uses the phrase 'the root of the problem' when discussing wasteful irrigation practices. This phrase is an example of what literary device?
- Alliteration
- Metaphor (Correct answer)
- Hyperbole
- Personification
Correct answer: Metaphor
'The root of the problem' is a metaphor that compares the cause of a problem to the root of a plant.
Question 2: Which text structure would be MOST appropriate for an article explaining why deforestation leads to increased carbon emissions?
- Compare and contrast
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Descriptive
- Sequence
Correct answer: Cause and effect
Cause-and-effect structure is best suited for explaining how one event or condition leads to specific outcomes.
Question 3: A journalist writes: 'The factory poured chemicals into the river; meanwhile, regulators remained silent.' What effect does this sentence structure create?
- It emphasizes the similarity between the factory and the regulators
- It creates dramatic irony by juxtaposing harmful action with inaction (Correct answer)
- It presents a chronological sequence of events
- It defines the meaning of environmental regulation
Correct answer: It creates dramatic irony by juxtaposing harmful action with inaction
The juxtaposition of harmful action and simultaneous regulatory silence creates dramatic irony that emphasizes negligence.
Question 4: When an author repeats a key phrase at the beginning of several consecutive sentences, this technique is called:
- Alliteration
- Anaphora (Correct answer)
- Assonance
- Antithesis
Correct answer: Anaphora
Anaphora is the rhetorical device of repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences to create emphasis or rhythm.
Question 5: An article about cybersecurity is divided into sections titled 'The Threat,' 'The Vulnerability,' and 'The Solution.' What overall text structure does this suggest?
- Descriptive
- Chronological
- Problem and solution (Correct answer)
- Compare and contrast
Correct answer: Problem and solution
Section titles that progress from identifying a threat/vulnerability to offering a solution indicate a problem-solution text structure.
Question 6: Which statement best describes the function of a concluding paragraph in an informational essay?
- It introduces new evidence to strengthen the argument
- It synthesizes the key points and reinforces the central idea (Correct answer)
- It presents the opposing viewpoint for the first time
- It lists all sources used in the essay
Correct answer: It synthesizes the key points and reinforces the central idea
A concluding paragraph synthesizes the main points made throughout the essay and reinforces the central idea without introducing new arguments.
Question 7: An author describes a scientist as someone who 'wrestled with data for years before the breakthrough finally surrendered its secrets.' What craft technique is being used?
- Simile
- Personification (Correct answer)
- Understatement
- Allusion
Correct answer: Personification
Giving the 'breakthrough' the human ability to surrender its secrets is an example of personification, attributing human qualities to an abstract concept.
NJGPA Analyzing Author's Craft and Text Structure in Informational Texts 3
An author writing about water conservation uses the phrase 'the root of the problem' when discussing wasteful irrigation practices.
This phrase is an example of what literary device?