Academic Literacy Flashcards
7 cards from real NBT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Academic Literacy flashcards as text
A text includes this sentence: 'The findings must be interpreted with caution given the small sample size.' This statement is an example of:
Answer: Acknowledging a limitation of the research
Acknowledging a small sample size as a reason for caution is a form of recognizing and transparently reporting a research limitation.
Which of the following is an example of an 'appeal to authority' used appropriately in academic writing?
Answer: Referencing a peer-reviewed study by leading climate scientists
Appropriately appealing to authority involves citing qualified experts whose expertise directly applies to the topic being discussed.
What does it mean when an academic argument is described as 'circular'?
Answer: It uses the conclusion as one of its own premises without independent support
A circular argument restates the conclusion as a premise, making it logically invalid because it does not provide independent evidence for the claim.
In an academic passage, the phrase 'this notwithstanding' is closest in meaning to:
Answer: In spite of this / despite this
'Notwithstanding' means despite or in spite of, signaling that what follows holds true even given what was just stated.
A reader encounters unfamiliar vocabulary in a dense academic passage. The most effective first strategy is to:
Answer: Use context clues from surrounding sentences to infer the word's meaning
Using context clues — surrounding words, sentence structure, and the overall topic — allows a reader to infer meaning efficiently without interrupting reading flow.
Which of the following correctly distinguishes a 'fact' from an 'opinion'?
Answer: A fact can be verified by evidence, while an opinion expresses a personal judgment or belief
A fact is a verifiable statement confirmed by evidence, whereas an opinion is a personal judgment that may not be objectively provable.
An author concludes a section with: 'In sum, the evidence strongly suggests that...' The phrase 'in sum' signals:
Answer: A synthesis or summary of the preceding discussion
'In sum' (like 'in summary' or 'in conclusion') is a discourse marker signaling that the author is synthesizing or summarizing what has been discussed.