OSSLT Understanding Supporting Details 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage about reducing plastic waste includes: 'Canada produces approximately 3 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with less than 10% being recycled.' How does this sentence function?
- It states the author's personal opinion.
- It provides a supporting detail using statistics to show the scale of the problem. (Correct answer)
- It introduces a counterargument to the main idea.
- It serves as the concluding statement of the passage.
Correct answer: It provides a supporting detail using statistics to show the scale of the problem.
Statistics about Canada's plastic waste and low recycling rate provide concrete evidence supporting the discussion of plastic waste reduction.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of an anecdotal supporting detail?
- Studies show that reading improves vocabulary by an average of 15% per year.
- Maria, a Grade 10 student, improved her writing score significantly after joining a book club. (Correct answer)
- Literacy skills are essential for success in all subject areas.
- Teachers agree that reading should be encouraged at home.
Correct answer: Maria, a Grade 10 student, improved her writing score significantly after joining a book club.
An anecdote is a brief personal story used as an example, which Maria's experience illustrates.
Question 3: In the sentence 'Wolves play a crucial role in ecosystems by controlling deer populations, which allows vegetation to recover,' the underlined phrase 'which allows vegetation to recover' functions as:
- The main idea of the passage.
- A supporting detail explaining the benefit of wolf predation. (Correct answer)
- An example of a counterargument.
- An unrelated piece of information.
Correct answer: A supporting detail explaining the benefit of wolf predation.
The phrase explains the ecological consequence of wolves controlling deer, providing detail that supports the broader claim about their role.
Question 4: A student wants to support the claim 'School uniforms reduce bullying.' Which detail provides the STRONGEST support?
- Uniforms have been worn in schools for hundreds of years.
- A study of 500 schools found a 23% decrease in bullying incidents after introducing uniforms. (Correct answer)
- Many students dislike wearing uniforms.
- Some countries require uniforms in all public schools.
Correct answer: A study of 500 schools found a 23% decrease in bullying incidents after introducing uniforms.
A study showing a measurable decrease in bullying directly and specifically supports the claim that uniforms reduce bullying.
Question 5: When an author includes an expert quote in a paragraph, it most often serves as:
- The topic sentence of the paragraph.
- A supporting detail that adds credibility to the main claim. (Correct answer)
- A transition between two unrelated ideas.
- A definition of a key term.
Correct answer: A supporting detail that adds credibility to the main claim.
Expert quotes are supporting details because they lend authority and credibility to the author's main point.
Question 6: Read this paragraph opener: 'Deforestation harms wildlife in multiple ways.' Which sentence would BEST follow as a supporting detail?
- Trees are important natural resources used by many industries.
- Forests have been cut down throughout human history.
- The destruction of forest habitat forces animals to relocate, often leading to starvation or predation. (Correct answer)
- Environmentalists are concerned about the rate of deforestation worldwide.
Correct answer: The destruction of forest habitat forces animals to relocate, often leading to starvation or predation.
This sentence gives a specific way deforestation harms wildlife, directly supporting the paragraph's opening claim.
Question 7: A supporting detail that uses comparison (e.g., 'City A has twice as many parks per resident as City B') is MOST useful for:
- Confusing the reader with too much data.
- Showing the relative scale or significance of something to make a point clearer. (Correct answer)
- Introducing a new topic to the passage.
- Summarizing information already presented.
Correct answer: Showing the relative scale or significance of something to make a point clearer.
Comparative details help readers understand the scale or importance of a point by showing how one thing relates to another.
OSSLT Understanding Supporting Details 3
A passage about reducing plastic waste includes: 'Canada produces approximately 3 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with less than 10% being recycled.' How does this sentence function?