OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Interpreting News Reports Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the following sentences from a news report: "The City Council voted yesterday to approve the construction of a new public library on Elm Street. The project is budgeted at $4 million. Councillor David Chen called the decision 'a fantastic and desperately needed enhancement for our city.' The library is expected to be completed by 2028." Which of the following statements from the news report is an opinion?
- The project is budgeted at $4 million.
- The library will be built on Elm Street.
- The decision is 'a fantastic and desperately needed enhancement.' (Correct answer)
- The City Council voted to approve the construction.
Correct answer: The decision is 'a fantastic and desperately needed enhancement.'
The statement describes the decision using subjective and emotional language ('fantastic,' 'desperately needed'), which reflects Councillor Chen's personal judgment. The other options are all verifiable facts presented in the report.
Question 2: Read the following headline and first sentence of a news report: "Courageous Local Activists Defeat Destructive Corporate Plan. A proposal to build a massive warehouse in the sensitive Green Valley marshlands was finally stopped last night thanks to the persistent efforts of community heroes." The language used in this report shows a bias in favour of which group?
- The corporation that proposed the warehouse.
- The local government.
- The construction workers.
- The community activists. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The community activists.
Words like 'Courageous,' 'heroes,' and 'persistent efforts' present the activists in an overwhelmingly positive light. In contrast, the plan is described with negative words like 'destructive' and 'massive,' indicating a clear bias in favour of the activists.
Question 3: A news article about a major highway closure includes the following section: "'We advise all commuters to seek alternate routes or use public transit if possible,' stated police constable Eva Rostova. 'Our primary goal is to ensure everyone's safety during the cleanup operation.'" What is the most likely reason the reporter included the quote from Constable Rostova?
- To provide an official and authoritative source for the safety warning. (Correct answer)
- To suggest that the police were responsible for the highway closure.
- To fill space in the article because the reporter had no other information.
- To criticize the commuters for causing the traffic problems.
Correct answer: To provide an official and authoritative source for the safety warning.
Constable Rostova is an official source (a police officer). Her quote provides a credible warning and explains the official priority (safety), which adds authority and important information to the news report.
Question 4: A news website published two articles about a new city-wide composting program. - Article A Headline: "Green Bin Program Slashes Landfill Waste in First Month" - Article B Headline: "Residents Complain of Pests and Odours from New Green Bins" Based on the headlines, what is the primary difference between the two news reports?
- They are reporting on programs in two different cities.
- One report is based on facts, and the other is based on opinions.
- They focus on different aspects and potential outcomes of the same program. (Correct answer)
- One report is written for experts, and the other is for the general public.
Correct answer: They focus on different aspects and potential outcomes of the same program.
Both headlines refer to the same new composting program. However, Article A focuses on a positive outcome (reduced waste), while Article B focuses on negative consequences (pests and smells). They are covering the same event from different angles.
Question 5: Read the following opening paragraph of a news report: "Yesterday, hundreds of students from Northview High School walked out of class to protest the school board's recent budget cuts. The demonstration began at noon on the front lawn of the school." Which of the following key questions is NOT answered in this paragraph?
- Who was involved?
- When did it happen?
- Where did it happen?
- Why did the school board make the cuts? (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Why did the school board make the cuts?
The paragraph tells us *Who* (students from Northview High), *What* (a walk-out/protest), *When* (yesterday at noon), and *Where* (the school's front lawn). It does not explain the *Why*—the specific reasons behind the school board's decision to make budget cuts are not mentioned.
Question 6: A news report about public transit use includes a bar chart. The chart shows the number of riders per day for four different bus routes. Route 10 has 1,500 riders. Route 12 has 2,500 riders. Route 15 has 1,200 riders. Route 22 has 2,100 riders. Based on the information in the bar chart, which of the following statements is true?
- Route 15 is the most popular route.
- Route 12 has more riders than Route 10 and Route 15 combined. (Correct answer)
- More than 7,000 riders use these four routes daily.
- Route 10 has more riders than Route 22.
Correct answer: Route 12 has more riders than Route 10 and Route 15 combined.
By adding the ridership of Route 10 (1,500) and Route 15 (1,200), the total is 2,700. Route 12 has 2,500 riders, which is less than the combined total of the other two routes. Let's re-check the math and options. Ah, wait. Let me re-evaluate the correct answer. A) Route 15 (1200) is the least popular. Incorrect. B) Route 12 (2500) vs Route 10 (1500) + Route 15 (1200) = 2700. So B is false. C) 1500 + 2500 + 1200 + 2100 = 7300. This is more than 7000. So C is true. D) Route 10 (1500) is less than Route 22 (2100). Incorrect. The correct answer must be C. Let me re-write the answer choices to make one clearly correct and shuffle the index. New set: A) Route 15 is the most popular route. (False) B) The combined ridership of Route 10 and Route 15 is greater than the ridership of Route 12. (True: 1500+1200=2700, which is >2500) C) Fewer than 2,000 riders use Route 22. (False) D) Route 12 is the least popular route. (False) The correct answer is B.
OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Interpreting News Reports Questions and Answers
Read the following sentences from a news report: "The City Council voted yesterday to approve the construction of a new public library on Elm Street.
The project is budgeted at $4 million.
Councillor David Chen called the decision 'a fantastic and desperately needed enhancement for our city.' The library is expected to be completed by 2028."
Which of the following statements from the news report is an opinion?