Academic Literacy Comprehension 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 Comprehension flashcards as text
A student reading a journal article notes that the abstract contradicts a claim made in the conclusion. This discrepancy most likely indicates:
Answer: A possible inconsistency that warrants careful re-reading
Contradictions between sections of a text are red flags that require careful re-reading and critical evaluation.
The phrase 'seminal work' in an academic context refers to:
Answer: A highly influential foundational piece of research
'Seminal' describes work that is foundational and has significantly influenced a field.
Read: 'The data, though compelling, were gathered from a convenience sample of university students, limiting the generalizability of the findings.' What limitation does the author identify?
Answer: The findings cannot necessarily be applied to broader populations
A convenience sample from one demographic limits how widely the results can be applied, which is what the author flags.
Which sentence contains an example of circular reasoning?
Answer: We should trust this report because it is trustworthy.
Circular reasoning uses the conclusion as evidence for itself — 'trust it because it's trustworthy' is the same claim repeated.
A graph's y-axis begins at 85% rather than 0%. The most significant effect of this choice is that it:
Answer: Visually exaggerates the differences between data points
A truncated y-axis magnifies visual differences between values, potentially misleading the reader about the true magnitude of change.
An academic text uses the phrase 'it can be argued that.' This phrasing signals that the author is:
Answer: Distancing themselves slightly from a claim they are about to make
'It can be argued that' is a hedging phrase that presents a claim as one possible interpretation, not absolute truth.
Which of the following best defines 'synthesis' in the context of academic reading and writing?
Answer: Combining ideas from multiple sources to form a new, coherent understanding
Synthesis involves integrating ideas from multiple sources into a unified, original analysis or argument.