STAT Interpreting Informative Texts 2

Question 1

A passage states: 'The glacier retreated 200 meters annually from 1990 to 2010, then 350 meters annually from 2010 to 2020.' What can be correctly inferred?

Accepted Answer

The rate of retreat increased after 2010

Answer

The annual retreat rate rose from 200 m to 350 m after 2010, indicating an accelerating trend.

Question 2

A graph caption reads: 'Figure 3 shows median household income by region, adjusted for inflation (2020 dollars).' What does 'adjusted for inflation' signal to the reader?

Accepted Answer

Figures are comparable across years in real purchasing power

Answer

Inflation adjustment converts all values to a common price level, allowing meaningful year-to-year comparisons.

Question 3

An informational text uses the phrase 'correlation does not imply causation' after presenting survey data. The author's purpose is most likely to:

Accepted Answer

Warn readers against assuming one variable causes another

Answer

The phrase cautions readers that a statistical relationship between variables does not prove one causes the other.

Question 4

A science article states: 'Participants who slept fewer than six hours reported higher stress levels (p < 0.05).' What does p < 0.05 indicate?

Accepted Answer

The finding is statistically significant at the 5% level

Answer

A p-value below 0.05 means there is less than a 5% probability the result is due to random chance, meeting a standard significance threshold.

Question 5

A text presents two columns: 'Observed Frequency' and 'Expected Frequency.' A reader can conclude the author is most likely discussing:

Accepted Answer

A statistical analysis comparing actual versus predicted outcomes

Answer

Observed vs. expected frequency is standard terminology in statistical tests such as chi-square analysis.

STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Test Practice Test

STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Test Practice Test

STAT Interpreting Informative Texts 2