Reading Comprehension Supporting Details and Evidence 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an OPINION rather than a fact that could serve as evidence?
- The Amazon rainforest covers approximately 5.5 million square kilometers
- Deforestation rates in Brazil reached 11,568 km² in 2022
- Protecting the Amazon is the most important environmental task of our time (Correct answer)
- Scientists have identified over 40,000 plant species in the Amazon
Correct answer: Protecting the Amazon is the most important environmental task of our time
'Most important' is a value judgment that cannot be objectively measured, making it an opinion rather than factual evidence.
Question 2: A passage has the main idea: 'Smartphones have changed social interactions.' Which detail does NOT support this main idea?
- Texting has replaced phone calls for many people
- Face-to-face conversations have declined in teens who use smartphones heavily
- Smartphones were first introduced to the mass market in 2007 (Correct answer)
- Social media platforms are accessed mainly through smartphones
Correct answer: Smartphones were first introduced to the mass market in 2007
The year smartphones were introduced is historical background, not evidence that they changed social interactions.
Question 3: What is the difference between a major and a minor supporting detail?
- Major details directly support the main idea; minor details support the major details (Correct answer)
- Major details are always statistics; minor details are always examples
- Major details appear only in the introduction; minor details appear in the body
- Major details are longer sentences; minor details are shorter sentences
Correct answer: Major details directly support the main idea; minor details support the major details
Major supporting details directly prove the main idea, while minor details provide additional support for the major details.
Question 4: A reader encounters the sentence: 'Furthermore, NASA data shows a 13% per decade decline in Arctic sea ice.' What function does this sentence serve?
- It introduces the main idea
- It provides supporting evidence for a claim about climate change (Correct answer)
- It contradicts the main argument
- It summarizes the entire passage
Correct answer: It provides supporting evidence for a claim about climate change
A specific, cited statistic functions as supporting evidence to reinforce a broader claim in the passage.
Question 5: To evaluate whether a supporting detail is RELEVANT, a reader should ask:
- Is this sentence the longest in the paragraph?
- Does this detail directly prove or explain the main idea? (Correct answer)
- Does this detail appear at the beginning of the paragraph?
- Is this detail written in simple language?
Correct answer: Does this detail directly prove or explain the main idea?
Relevance is determined by whether a detail directly supports the main claim, regardless of its position or length.
Question 6: An author claims that 'Sleep deprivation reduces academic performance.' Which evidence BEST supports this claim?
- Many students prefer to study late at night
- A study found that students sleeping fewer than 7 hours scored 15% lower on standardized tests (Correct answer)
- Teenagers need more sleep than adults
- Some students use caffeine to stay awake
Correct answer: A study found that students sleeping fewer than 7 hours scored 15% lower on standardized tests
A direct, measurable link between sleep hours and test scores is the strongest evidence for the claim about academic performance.
Reading Comprehension Supporting Details and Evidence 2
Which of the following is an OPINION rather than a fact that could serve as evidence?