California High School Proficiency Exam California High School Proficiency Exam Reading Informational Texts 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the main purpose of a biographical text?
- To entertain readers with fictional stories
- To provide factual information about a real person's life (Correct answer)
- To argue for a particular political position
- To explain how to complete a task step by step
Correct answer: To provide factual information about a real person's life
A biography presents researched, factual information about the life of a real person.
Question 2: In a newspaper editorial, the author's primary goal is to:
- Report news without personal opinion
- Present perfectly balanced views on all sides
- Persuade readers to agree with a particular viewpoint (Correct answer)
- Entertain readers with humorous stories
Correct answer: Persuade readers to agree with a particular viewpoint
Editorials are opinion pieces in which authors use evidence and reasoning to persuade readers to support their viewpoint.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of a primary source?
- A textbook chapter about World War II
- A documentary film about Abraham Lincoln
- A diary written by a soldier during the Civil War (Correct answer)
- An encyclopedia article about the American Revolution
Correct answer: A diary written by a soldier during the Civil War
A primary source is a firsthand account created at the time of the event, such as a soldier's personal diary.
Question 4: When an author uses statistics in an informational text, the primary purpose is to:
- Make the text harder to understand
- Support claims with numerical evidence (Correct answer)
- Entertain readers with interesting numbers
- Replace the need for a written argument
Correct answer: Support claims with numerical evidence
Authors use statistics as quantitative evidence to substantiate claims and add credibility to their arguments.
Question 5: What does 'bias' mean in the context of an informational text?
- The author presents both sides of an issue equally
- The author includes only facts and no opinions
- The author favors one perspective and may omit opposing views (Correct answer)
- The author uses difficult vocabulary
Correct answer: The author favors one perspective and may omit opposing views
Bias occurs when an author presents information in a way that unfairly favors one viewpoint while ignoring or downplaying others.
Question 6: In a scientific article, what is the purpose of the conclusion section?
- To introduce the topic and state the hypothesis
- To describe the methods used in the experiment
- To summarize findings and explain what they mean (Correct answer)
- To list the materials needed for the study
Correct answer: To summarize findings and explain what they mean
The conclusion summarizes the study's results and interprets their significance in relation to the original hypothesis.
California High School Proficiency Exam California High School Proficiency Exam Reading Informational Texts 2
What is the main purpose of a biographical text?