Analyzing Informational Texts Flashcards
7 cards from real RLA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Analyzing Informational Texts flashcards as text
A policy report recommends increased funding for public transit and includes a table showing cities with high transit funding have lower traffic fatalities. What additional information would MOST strengthen this recommendation?
Answer: Evidence that the funding caused the lower fatalities, not other factors
To strengthen a causal claim, you must rule out alternative explanations for the observed relationship.
An informational text repeatedly uses the word 'crisis' to describe a moderate policy challenge. What effect does this word choice have?
Answer: It heightens urgency and may lead readers to perceive the issue as more severe than evidence warrants
Charged language like 'crisis' can emotionally amplify a situation beyond what the evidence alone supports.
A reader is comparing a primary source (an original speech) with a secondary source (a historian's analysis of the speech). Which statement is accurate?
Answer: Primary sources provide original evidence; secondary sources offer interpretation and context
Primary sources offer original, firsthand evidence while secondary sources analyze and contextualize that evidence.
A passage about nutrition ends with: 'Therefore, everyone should adopt a plant-based diet.' The evidence presented only discussed benefits for people with heart disease. What is the flaw in the conclusion?
Answer: The conclusion overgeneralizes by applying limited evidence to all people
Drawing a universal conclusion ('everyone') from evidence about a specific group is a hasty generalization.
In informational texts, a sidebar or text box typically serves which function?
Answer: To provide supplementary information without interrupting the main flow
Sidebars present related but non-essential details that would disrupt the main text's flow if inserted inline.
An author writing about water conservation uses statistics from a 1990 government report. Why might a reader question the relevance of this evidence?
Answer: Data from 35+ years ago may not reflect current conditions or technology
Outdated data may not account for changes in population, climate, infrastructure, or technology that affect current conditions.
When an informational passage transitions from describing a problem to proposing a solution, which signal word or phrase would you MOST likely encounter?
Answer: To address this
'To address this' signals a shift from identifying a problem to presenting a proposed response or solution.