TEAS Reading: Craft and Structure — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A health article opens by describing the nationwide shortage of nurses and concludes by proposing expanded nursing school enrollment. Which text structure does this represent?
- Chronological order
- Compare and contrast
- Problem and solution (Correct answer)
- Cause and effect
Correct answer: Problem and solution
Problem-and-solution structure presents an issue and then describes one or more ways to address it. Cause-and-effect structure, by contrast, explains why an event occurred — not how to fix it.
Question 2: An author writes: 'All applicants to accredited nursing programs must achieve a minimum TEAS score of 60% for admission.' What is the author's PRIMARY purpose?
- To entertain readers with an anecdote about nursing school applications
- To inform readers of an established admission requirement (Correct answer)
- To persuade readers to pursue a nursing career
- To describe the historical development of nursing education standards
Correct answer: To inform readers of an established admission requirement
The sentence is factual and directive, delivering a requirement without narrative, emotional appeal, or historical context. Its primary function is to inform.
Question 3: Which transition word BEST signals a contrast or shift between two ideas?
- Furthermore
- Therefore
- However (Correct answer)
- Similarly
Correct answer: However
'However' introduces a contrasting or opposing idea. 'Furthermore' and 'similarly' add or compare ideas; 'therefore' signals a logical conclusion.
Question 4: A passage about Florence Nightingale describes her early life, then her work in Crimea, then her later reforms to hospital sanitation. Which text structure is being used?
- Cause and effect
- Problem and solution
- Chronological (Correct answer)
- Compare and contrast
Correct answer: Chronological
Chronological structure organizes events in the order they occurred over time. Signal words like 'then,' 'next,' 'later,' and 'finally' typically appear in this structure.
Question 5: What is the key difference between an author's TONE and an author's PURPOSE?
- Tone refers to the subject matter of the text; purpose refers to the intended audience
- Tone reflects the author's attitude toward the subject; purpose is the reason the author wrote the text (Correct answer)
- Tone refers to factual content only; purpose refers to opinions expressed
- Tone and purpose are interchangeable terms that describe the same concept
Correct answer: Tone reflects the author's attitude toward the subject; purpose is the reason the author wrote the text
Tone answers 'How does the author feel?' (e.g., hopeful, skeptical, urgent), while purpose answers 'Why did the author write this?' (to inform, persuade, entertain, or describe). They are related but distinct.
Question 6: In a persuasive article, the author cites five studies supporting her argument but omits four studies with contradictory findings. This technique is best described as:
- Ethos — building credibility by citing academic sources
- Cherry-picking — selectively using only evidence that supports one's position (Correct answer)
- Bandwagon appeal — claiming an argument is correct because many people agree
- Red herring — introducing irrelevant information to distract from the main point
Correct answer: Cherry-picking — selectively using only evidence that supports one's position
Cherry-picking involves deliberately selecting only evidence that supports one's argument while ignoring contradictory data. This is a logical fallacy that undermines the objectivity of the argument.
TEAS Reading: Craft and Structure
A health article opens by describing the nationwide shortage of nurses and concludes by proposing expanded nursing school enrollment.
Which text structure does this represent?