RLA Analyzing Informational Texts 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A reader encounters the claim: 'This supplement is doctor-approved.' Without additional context, why is this claim difficult to evaluate?
- Doctors cannot approve supplements
- The claim lacks specifics about which doctors, how many, or under what conditions (Correct answer)
- Supplements do not require any evaluation
- The word 'approved' always indicates government certification
Correct answer: The claim lacks specifics about which doctors, how many, or under what conditions
Vague appeals to authority are difficult to verify without knowing who endorsed the product, their qualifications, and the basis for approval.
Question 2: An article argues for stricter environmental regulations and cites peer-reviewed studies, government data, and expert testimony. How does using multiple source types strengthen the argument?
- It makes the article longer and therefore more credible
- Converging evidence from independent sources reduces the chance that any one source's bias drives the conclusion (Correct answer)
- It proves the author has no personal stake in the issue
- It replaces the need for a clear thesis
Correct answer: Converging evidence from independent sources reduces the chance that any one source's bias drives the conclusion
When multiple independent, credible sources agree, the overall argument is more convincing than if it relies on a single source.
Question 3: A passage describes an experiment in which researchers gave one group a new medication and another group a placebo. What is the purpose of the placebo group?
- To ensure all participants receive treatment
- To provide a baseline that isolates the medication's effect from other factors (Correct answer)
- To make the study appear larger than it is
- To test a different medication simultaneously
Correct answer: To provide a baseline that isolates the medication's effect from other factors
A placebo control group allows researchers to separate the drug's actual effect from the placebo effect and other variables.
Question 4: An author ends each section of a long report with a brief summary sentence. How does this structural choice benefit readers?
- It signals the author ran out of ideas
- It reinforces key points and helps readers consolidate information before moving on (Correct answer)
- It replaces the need for an introduction
- It indicates those sections are less important
Correct answer: It reinforces key points and helps readers consolidate information before moving on
Section summaries act as cognitive checkpoints, helping readers retain the main idea before processing new information.
Question 5: A student reads: 'While some economists support the tax cut, others warn it will increase the deficit.' This sentence structure indicates the author is:
- Contradicting economic theory
- Presenting two competing expert perspectives without endorsing either (Correct answer)
- Arguing that economists are unreliable
- Providing evidence that the tax cut is beneficial
Correct answer: Presenting two competing expert perspectives without endorsing either
Presenting opposing expert views with balanced language signals that the author is informing rather than advocating.
Question 6: Which feature of an informational text would MOST help a reader quickly determine the overall scope and organization of the document?
- The bibliography
- The table of contents (Correct answer)
- The index
- The glossary
Correct answer: The table of contents
A table of contents shows the document's major sections and their order, giving an overview of scope and structure at a glance.
Question 7: An opinion column states that a new park is 'desperately needed' by the community. A city council report on the same topic says the park 'has been requested by residents.' How do these phrasings differ?
- They convey identical meanings with different lengths
- The column uses emotional language to urge action; the report uses neutral language to state a fact (Correct answer)
- The council report is more persuasive than the column
- Both texts are equally biased
Correct answer: The column uses emotional language to urge action; the report uses neutral language to state a fact
Emotional language like 'desperately needed' signals advocacy, while neutral phrasing like 'has been requested' reflects objective reporting.
RLA Analyzing Informational Texts 5
A reader encounters the claim: 'This supplement is doctor-approved.' Without additional context, why is this claim difficult to evaluate?