Reading Informational Text: Argument and Exposition — 6th Reading: Literature & Informational practice questions

'Tone' in a piece of writing is:

1. The author's biography
2. The plot
3. The attitude the author takes toward the subject (e.g., humorous, serious, critical, admiring) — conveyed through word choice and style
4. The reader's mood

Answer: C — The attitude the author takes toward the subject (e.g., humorous, serious, critical, admiring) — conveyed through word choice and style

Tone = author's attitude. (A), (B), (D) misread.

To identify an author's PURPOSE in an opinion piece, a reader should look for:

1. Stage directions
2. Claims supported by reasons and evidence, counterargument acknowledgment, and persuasive language — the goal is usually to persuade
3. Rhyme scheme
4. Character names

Answer: B — Claims supported by reasons and evidence, counterargument acknowledgment, and persuasive language — the goal is usually to persuade

Persuasive features signal persuasive purpose. (A), (C), (D) misread.

A counterargument addresses:

1. Only the writer's strongest point
2. The reader's age
3. The publisher's policies
4. An opposing viewpoint, often to refute or qualify it

Answer: D — An opposing viewpoint, often to refute or qualify it

D) Counterarguments engage with opposing views. A) That is the main argument. B/C) Off topic.

Third-person limited narration:

1. Knows everyone's thoughts
2. Is in second person
3. Has no narrator
4. Stays inside one character's perspective, knowing only what that character knows, sees, and feels

Answer: D — Stays inside one character's perspective, knowing only what that character knows, sees, and feels

Limited = one viewpoint only. (A) is omniscient; (C), (B) misread.

Active reading techniques include:

1. Just reading once
2. Annotating, asking questions, predicting, summarizing, identifying main ideas, looking up unfamiliar words — engagement with the text
3. Memorizing every word
4. Skipping difficult parts

Answer: B — Annotating, asking questions, predicting, summarizing, identifying main ideas, looking up unfamiliar words — engagement with the text

Active reading is multi-strategy. (A), (C), (D) misread.

Personification is:

1. Describing a person
2. Naming someone
3. Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g., 'the wind whispered through the trees')
4. An autobiography

Answer: C — Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g., 'the wind whispered through the trees')

Personification = human traits to non-human. (A), (B), (D) misread.

Hyperbole is:

1. Quiet understatement
2. A character trait
3. A type of dialogue
4. Extreme exaggeration for effect (e.g., 'I've told you a million times')

Answer: D — Extreme exaggeration for effect (e.g., 'I've told you a million times')

Hyperbole = exaggeration. (A) is understatement; (C), (B) misread.

Problem-and-solution text structure:

1. Describes scenery
2. Tells a story only
3. Lists random facts
4. Identifies a problem and proposes one or more solutions — common in editorials, scientific writing, civic essays

Answer: D — Identifies a problem and proposes one or more solutions — common in editorials, scientific writing, civic essays

Problem/solution. (A), (C), (B) misread.

To evaluate the credibility of an informational source, a reader should consider:

1. Length only
2. Headings
3. Page count
4. Author qualifications, publication date, evidence quality, citations to other reputable sources, bias indicators, and corroboration with other sources

Answer: D — Author qualifications, publication date, evidence quality, citations to other reputable sources, bias indicators, and corroboration with other sources

Credibility evaluation is multi-factor. (A), (C), (B) are insufficient.

Context clues help readers:

1. Find the author
2. Skip the word
3. Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words from surrounding sentences — synonyms, antonyms, examples, or definitions in the text
4. Memorize spellings

Answer: C — Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words from surrounding sentences — synonyms, antonyms, examples, or definitions in the text

Context clues solve unfamiliar words. (A), (B), (D) misread.

What's 'sequence/process' structure?

Steps in order — like instructions or how something works.

What's 'cause and effect' structure?

Showing what causes events and the resulting effects.