NJSLA Comprehending Informational Texts 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student reads: 'Despite the drought, the farmers managed to save their crops by using drip irrigation.' What does 'despite' tell the reader about the relationship between the two parts of the sentence?
- The drought caused the farmers to succeed
- The farmers succeeded even though the drought was a challenge (Correct answer)
- The farmers failed because of the drought
- The drought and irrigation happened at the same time
Correct answer: The farmers succeeded even though the drought was a challenge
'Despite' is a contrast signal word indicating that the outcome (saving crops) happened even though an obstacle (the drought) existed.
Question 2: An author writes: 'Some researchers argue that homework improves academic performance; however, others suggest it increases student stress.' This sentence demonstrates:
- A cause-and-effect relationship
- A problem without a solution
- Contrasting perspectives on the same issue (Correct answer)
- A sequential list of events
Correct answer: Contrasting perspectives on the same issue
The word 'however' signals that the author is presenting two opposing viewpoints on the topic of homework.
Question 3: Which question helps a reader identify the author's PURPOSE in an informational text?
- What is the setting of the text?
- Who are the main characters?
- Why did the author write this text—to inform, persuade, or entertain? (Correct answer)
- What happens at the end of the story?
Correct answer: Why did the author write this text—to inform, persuade, or entertain?
Identifying whether the author's goal is to inform, persuade, or entertain helps readers understand how to interpret the information presented.
Question 4: A text says: 'The cheetah can run at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, making it the fastest land animal on Earth.' Which type of supporting detail is this?
- An anecdote
- A statistic (Correct answer)
- An expert opinion
- A rhetorical question
Correct answer: A statistic
A statistic is a specific numerical fact used to support a claim, and '70 miles per hour' is a measurable data point.
Question 5: When a reader 'makes an inference,' what are they doing?
- Copying a sentence from the text word for word
- Using text evidence and prior knowledge to draw a conclusion not directly stated (Correct answer)
- Skipping difficult paragraphs in the text
- Finding the definition of a vocabulary word in a glossary
Correct answer: Using text evidence and prior knowledge to draw a conclusion not directly stated
Inference requires combining clues in the text with background knowledge to arrive at a conclusion the author implies but does not directly state.
Question 6: A student reads a government report on air quality. Which text feature would BEST help the reader quickly find data about pollution levels in a specific city?
- The table of contents
- A glossary of terms
- An index (Correct answer)
- A sidebar with fun facts
Correct answer: An index
An index lists specific topics and their page numbers alphabetically, making it the most efficient tool for locating specific data within a longer document.
Question 7: An informational text is organized as follows: introduction, problem identified, possible solutions presented, best solution recommended, conclusion. This is BEST described as:
- Cause and effect structure
- Chronological structure
- Problem and solution structure (Correct answer)
- Compare and contrast structure
Correct answer: Problem and solution structure
Problem and solution structure presents an issue and then evaluates or recommends ways to address it.
NJSLA Comprehending Informational Texts 3
A student reads: 'Despite the drought, the farmers managed to save their crops by using drip irrigation.' What does 'despite' tell the reader about the relationship between the two parts of the sentence?