West B Test Reading: Author's Purpose/Point of View 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A children's book tells a story about a bear who learns to share. The author's primary purpose is most likely to:
- Provide scientific facts about bears
- Entertain and teach a moral lesson (Correct answer)
- Persuade children to visit zoos
- Inform parents about child development
Correct answer: Entertain and teach a moral lesson
Stories aimed at children that feature a lesson combine entertainment with teaching a moral or value.
Question 2: Which of the following best distinguishes an author's purpose from an author's point of view?
- Purpose is why the author wrote the text; point of view is the author's perspective or attitude (Correct answer)
- Purpose refers to the audience; point of view refers to the topic
- They mean the same thing in literary analysis
- Purpose is about fiction; point of view applies only to nonfiction
Correct answer: Purpose is why the author wrote the text; point of view is the author's perspective or attitude
Author's purpose refers to the reason for writing (to inform, persuade, entertain), while point of view reflects the author's perspective or bias.
Question 3: A pamphlet uses alarming statistics about pollution followed by a call to 'act now.' The author's purpose is best described as:
- To entertain readers with pollution facts
- To narrate a story about the environment
- To persuade readers to take action on pollution (Correct answer)
- To objectively compare pollution levels across cities
Correct answer: To persuade readers to take action on pollution
Using alarming statistics combined with an urgent call to action is a classic persuasive technique.
Question 4: When analyzing point of view in a nonfiction text, a reader should look for:
- Only the main characters' feelings
- The author's word choices, tone, and what information is included or omitted (Correct answer)
- The publisher's description on the back cover
- The number of paragraphs in the text
Correct answer: The author's word choices, tone, and what information is included or omitted
An author's point of view is revealed through tone, diction, and selective inclusion or omission of information.
Question 5: An author writes a biography of a famous activist and consistently highlights the activist's achievements while minimizing criticism. This approach indicates:
- A neutral, balanced perspective
- An admiring point of view that may present a one-sided account (Correct answer)
- A critical stance toward the activist
- An objective academic analysis
Correct answer: An admiring point of view that may present a one-sided account
Consistently emphasizing achievements while minimizing criticism reveals an admiring, potentially one-sided point of view.
Question 6: Which of the following texts most clearly has the purpose of persuasion?
- A dictionary definition of 'democracy'
- A timeline of World War II events
- An op-ed column urging Congress to pass stricter gun laws (Correct answer)
- A recipe for chocolate cake
Correct answer: An op-ed column urging Congress to pass stricter gun laws
An op-ed urging specific legislative action is clearly written to persuade readers and policymakers.
Question 7: A reader notices that a health article only cites studies funded by a pharmaceutical company. This observation is most relevant to evaluating the author's:
- Writing style and clarity
- Potential bias and point of view (Correct answer)
- Use of technical vocabulary
- Choice of publication format
Correct answer: Potential bias and point of view
Funding sources can create conflicts of interest that influence an author's point of view and introduce bias.
West B Test Reading: Author's Purpose/Point of View 3
A children's book tells a story about a bear who learns to share.
The author's primary purpose is most likely to: