NJSLA Comprehending Informational Texts 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A reader encounters a graph showing U.S. energy consumption from 2000–2020 in a text about renewable energy. How does this graph PRIMARILY support the text?
- It replaces the need for any written explanation
- It provides quantitative data that illustrates trends discussed in the text (Correct answer)
- It makes the text longer so it appears more credible
- It contradicts the author's claims about energy use
Correct answer: It provides quantitative data that illustrates trends discussed in the text
Graphs provide quantitative visual evidence that helps readers see trends and patterns referenced in the written text.
Question 2: An author includes a firsthand account from a survivor of a natural disaster within an informational article. What does this primary source MAINLY add to the text?
- It replaces the need for statistics or data
- It provides a personal perspective that makes abstract events more concrete and relatable (Correct answer)
- It proves the author's opinion is correct
- It serves as the article's conclusion
Correct answer: It provides a personal perspective that makes abstract events more concrete and relatable
Primary sources like eyewitness accounts add a human perspective that helps readers connect emotionally and understand events on a personal level.
Question 3: A student reads: 'Although the economy improved, unemployment remained stubbornly high.' The word 'although' signals:
- That two ideas support each other
- That the second idea is a cause of the first
- That the two ideas are in contrast or tension with each other (Correct answer)
- That the events occurred in sequence
Correct answer: That the two ideas are in contrast or tension with each other
'Although' is a contrast signal word indicating that the second idea is unexpected or contradicts what one might predict from the first.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST describes the difference between a 'fact' and an 'inference' in informational reading?
- A fact is something a reader imagines; an inference is stated directly in the text
- A fact is directly stated and verifiable; an inference is a logical conclusion drawn from evidence (Correct answer)
- A fact is always in the first paragraph; an inference is in the last paragraph
- A fact requires background knowledge; an inference does not
Correct answer: A fact is directly stated and verifiable; an inference is a logical conclusion drawn from evidence
Facts are explicitly stated and can be verified, while inferences require the reader to combine text clues with reasoning to reach an unstated conclusion.
Question 5: A student is asked to determine the meaning of the word 'arid' in the sentence: 'The arid desert receives fewer than 10 inches of rain per year.' Which context clue strategy is MOST helpful here?
- Antonym clue
- Definition clue embedded in the sentence (Correct answer)
- Appositive clue
- Synonym clue
Correct answer: Definition clue embedded in the sentence
The phrase 'fewer than 10 inches of rain per year' acts as an embedded definition clue, directly explaining what 'arid' means.
Question 6: An informational article about the moon landing includes this sentence: 'Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon in 1969 changed humanity's view of what was possible.' What type of claim is this?
- A pure fact with no interpretation
- A claim that blends factual information with an interpretive judgment (Correct answer)
- A statistic
- A cause-and-effect signal phrase
Correct answer: A claim that blends factual information with an interpretive judgment
While the moon landing date is factual, saying it 'changed humanity's view' is an interpretive claim that requires evidence to fully support.
Question 7: Which reading strategy BEST helps a student integrate information from multiple informational texts on the same topic?
- Reading only the longest article and ignoring the others
- Identifying where the texts agree, where they differ, and what unique information each adds (Correct answer)
- Choosing the text with the most colorful photographs
- Summarizing only the first text and skipping the rest
Correct answer: Identifying where the texts agree, where they differ, and what unique information each adds
Synthesizing multiple texts requires comparing agreements, contradictions, and unique contributions from each source to build a complete understanding of the topic.
NJSLA Comprehending Informational Texts 5
A reader encounters a graph showing U.S. energy consumption from 2000–2020 in a text about renewable energy.
How does this graph PRIMARILY support the text?