Evidence-Based Reading Flashcards
7 cards from real DSAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Evidence-Based Reading flashcards as text
A student reads a passage arguing that urban green spaces reduce stress. The author cites a study showing lower cortisol levels in city residents who visit parks weekly. What is the primary purpose of including this study?
Answer: To provide empirical support for the claim about stress reduction
The study provides empirical data (cortisol measurements) that directly supports the author's central argument about green spaces reducing stress.
In a passage about deep-sea ecosystems, the author writes: 'These organisms have evolved extraordinary adaptations—bioluminescence, pressure-resistant cell membranes, and chemosynthetic metabolisms—that allow them to thrive where sunlight never reaches.' The word 'extraordinary' most nearly suggests that these adaptations are:
Answer: Unusually remarkable given their environment
The author uses 'extraordinary' to convey that these adaptations are remarkably exceptional, contrasting them with typical biological traits found in most organisms.
A passage presents two historians debating whether economic factors or political ideology primarily caused the French Revolution. Historian A emphasizes bread prices and famine; Historian B emphasizes Enlightenment ideas. Based on this structure, the passage is best described as:
Answer: Exploring competing interpretations of a complex historical cause
The passage presents two contrasting scholarly perspectives on causation, which is a classic structure for exploring interpretive disagreement in historical writing.
A passage about social media states: 'While platforms claim to connect people, research consistently shows that heavy social media use correlates with increased loneliness among teenagers.' The phrase 'While platforms claim' signals that the author is about to:
Answer: Contrast a stated claim with contradicting evidence
'While' introduces a concessive contrast, signaling that the research evidence will challenge or complicate the platforms' own claims.
In a literary passage, a character named Elena discovers her grandmother's hidden letters and feels 'a vertigo of recognition—as if the stranger's handwriting were somehow her own.' This figurative language primarily conveys:
Answer: An overwhelming sense of unexpected personal connection
The metaphor 'vertigo of recognition' conveys the disorienting emotional intensity of Elena feeling a profound, unexpected connection to her ancestor.
A student reads a passage claiming that a new teaching method improves math scores. The passage notes that students using the method showed a 15% improvement, but does not mention whether a control group was used. Which question is most important for evaluating this claim?
Answer: Did a comparable group not using the method show similar improvement?
Without a control group, it's impossible to determine whether the improvement was caused by the method or by other factors, making this the most critical question for evaluating the claim.
A passage about climate science includes this sentence: 'The data, while imperfect, paint an unambiguous picture.' The phrase 'while imperfect' functions primarily to:
Answer: Acknowledge a limitation while reinforcing the strength of the overall finding
The concessive phrase 'while imperfect' anticipates objections by acknowledging data limitations but immediately reasserts confidence in the conclusion with 'unambiguous picture.'