OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Analyzing Information Paragraphs Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A paragraph describes how Lake Huron's water levels have fluctuated over the past decade due to climate change. What is the primary purpose of this paragraph?
- To persuade readers to conserve water
- To inform readers about environmental changes (Correct answer)
- To entertain readers with a story about the Great Lakes
- To compare Lake Huron with other lakes
Correct answer: To inform readers about environmental changes
The paragraph's main purpose is to inform readers about the factual changes in water levels caused by climate change.
When analyzing information paragraphs, you need to identify the author's purpose. A paragraph presenting factual data about water level fluctuations is informational in nature. It is not trying to persuade, entertain, or compare.
Question 2: Read the following: 'The Trans-Canada Highway, stretching over 7,800 kilometres, connects communities from St. John's to Victoria.' Which organizational pattern does this sentence use?
- Cause and effect
- Problem and solution
- Spatial/geographical order (Correct answer)
- Chronological order
Correct answer: Spatial/geographical order
The sentence organizes information by geography, describing the highway's path from east to west across Canada.
Spatial or geographical order arranges information by location. The sentence describes the Trans-Canada Highway by its geographical span from east coast to west coast.
Question 3: In an informational text about Canada's bilingual education policies, which sentence best serves as a topic sentence?
- Many students enjoy learning French in school.
- Canada's official bilingualism policy has shaped education across all provinces and territories. (Correct answer)
- French immersion was started a long time ago.
- Some people think bilingualism is important.
Correct answer: Canada's official bilingualism policy has shaped education across all provinces and territories.
This sentence introduces the main idea clearly and specifically, connecting bilingualism policy to education nationwide.
A strong topic sentence introduces the paragraph's main idea in a clear, specific way. Option B names the subject, the scope, and the effect.
Question 4: A paragraph states: 'According to Statistics Canada, approximately 7.5 million Canadians speak French as their first language.' What is the function of 'According to Statistics Canada' in this sentence?
- It provides a transition between ideas
- It offers the author's personal opinion
- It establishes the credibility of the information (Correct answer)
- It introduces a counterargument
Correct answer: It establishes the credibility of the information
Citing Statistics Canada as a source establishes credibility by attributing the data to an authoritative organization.
When authors cite sources, they establish credibility and authority for their claims. Statistics Canada is the national statistical office.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes an implicit main idea in a paragraph about the decline of cod fishing in Atlantic Canada?
- The paragraph directly states that overfishing destroyed the cod population
- The reader must infer the main idea from supporting details about catch numbers and community impacts (Correct answer)
- The paragraph uses a heading that tells the reader the main idea
- The main idea is found in the last sentence of the paragraph
Correct answer: The reader must infer the main idea from supporting details about catch numbers and community impacts
An implicit main idea is not directly stated; readers must piece it together from the details and evidence provided.
An implicit main idea is one that is not directly stated in the text. The reader must infer it by analyzing the supporting details.
Question 6: A paragraph about Canadian healthcare includes the detail: 'Wait times for elective surgeries vary significantly between provinces.' How does this detail support the paragraph?
- It contradicts the paragraph's main idea
- It provides a specific example that illustrates regional differences in healthcare delivery (Correct answer)
- It summarizes the entire paragraph
- It introduces a completely new topic
Correct answer: It provides a specific example that illustrates regional differences in healthcare delivery
The detail about varying wait times serves as a specific supporting example that illustrates how healthcare delivery differs across provinces.
Supporting details provide evidence that reinforces the main idea. Noting that wait times vary between provinces supports a broader discussion of regional differences.
OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Analyzing Information Paragraphs Questions and Answers 2
A paragraph describes how Lake Huron's water levels have fluctuated over the past decade due to climate change.
What is the primary purpose of this paragraph?