RICAS ELA Comprehension 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An author writes a biography using mostly interviews from the subject's family and friends, with no opposing viewpoints. What is the MOST likely weakness of this source?
- It will contain too many facts
- It may present a biased, overly positive view of the subject (Correct answer)
- It cannot be considered a primary source
- It will lack any personal details about the subject
Correct answer: It may present a biased, overly positive view of the subject
Relying only on admiring sources creates bias, as family and friends are unlikely to share negative or balanced information about the subject.
Question 2: In poetry, what term describes the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words, as in 'slippery slope' or 'big brown bear'?
- Assonance
- Onomatopoeia
- Alliteration (Correct answer)
- Rhyme scheme
Correct answer: Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring or closely connected words.
Question 3: A student wants to write an argument about whether schools should have longer lunch periods. Which piece of evidence would be MOST convincing for this argument?
- A personal story about being hungry after school
- A study by a nutrition researcher showing students perform better with 30-minute lunches (Correct answer)
- A quote from a student saying 'I love having more time to eat'
- A list of foods served in the school cafeteria
Correct answer: A study by a nutrition researcher showing students perform better with 30-minute lunches
Research from a credible expert with measurable results (student performance data) provides the strongest, most objective support for the argument.
Question 4: Read the sentence: 'After the championship loss, Jonas felt a storm brewing inside him.' This is an example of:
- Simile, because it compares two things using 'like' or 'as'
- Personification, because a storm is given human traits
- Metaphor, because it directly compares his emotion to a storm (Correct answer)
- Hyperbole, because it exaggerates the weather
Correct answer: Metaphor, because it directly compares his emotion to a storm
The sentence directly equates Jonas's inner emotion with a storm—without using 'like' or 'as'—making it a metaphor.
Question 5: When summarizing a nonfiction passage, a student should:
- Include every fact and statistic mentioned in the text
- Share their personal opinion about the topic
- State the main idea and the most important supporting details in their own words (Correct answer)
- Copy the first and last sentences of each paragraph
Correct answer: State the main idea and the most important supporting details in their own words
A strong summary captures the main idea and key supporting details using the writer's own words, without personal opinion or unnecessary detail.
Question 6: Two texts cover the same historical event. Text 1 is a firsthand diary entry; Text 2 is a historian's analysis written 50 years later. Which statement about these sources is MOST accurate?
- Text 1 is more accurate because it was written by a historian
- Text 2 is more reliable because it has more distance and broader perspective
- Text 1 offers a personal, immediate perspective while Text 2 offers a broader analysis (Correct answer)
- Both texts are equally unreliable and should not be used
Correct answer: Text 1 offers a personal, immediate perspective while Text 2 offers a broader analysis
Primary sources like diaries give immediate personal perspective, while secondary sources like historical analyses offer broader context—both have value depending on the purpose.
Question 7: A paragraph begins: 'First, gather your materials. Next, measure carefully. Then, mix the ingredients. Finally, let it rest.' What is the organizational structure of this paragraph?
- Compare and contrast
- Problem and solution
- Sequential/chronological order (Correct answer)
- Cause and effect
Correct answer: Sequential/chronological order
Signal words like 'first,' 'next,' 'then,' and 'finally' indicate that the steps are presented in sequential/chronological order.
RICAS ELA Comprehension 3
An author writes a biography using mostly interviews from the subject's family and friends, with no opposing viewpoints.
What is the MOST likely weakness of this source?