Author's Purpose & Perspective
An article explains how volcanoes form using diagrams, facts, and definitions.
What is the author’s purpose?
To inform
What is the central idea?
“Plants need sunlight, water, and nutrients to grow properly.”
A. Plants are difficult to grow
B. Plants need specific conditions to grow
C. Sunlight is the most important factor
D. Plants grow quickly
B. Plants need specific conditions to grow
Which statement is a claim?
A. School lunches include pizza and milk
B. School serve lunches daily
C. Many students eat lunch daily
D. School lunches should be healthier
D. School lunches should be healthier
What is the purpose of an informational text?
A. To entertain
B. To inform
C. To confuse
D. To persuade only
B. To inform
Read the sentence:
“To strengthen her argument, the student included only relevant evidence that directly supported her claim.”
What does relevant MOST nearly mean?
A. Interesting
B. Closely connected to the topic
C. Repeated often
D. Confusing
B. Closely connected to the topic
Read the excerpt:
“According to a recent study, 75% of students improved their grades after using a planner.”
What technique is the author using to support their purpose?
A. Personal opinion
B. Statistic
C. Anecdote
D. Counterclaim
B. Statistic
Which detail BEST supports the central idea that exercise improves health?
A. Exercise can be difficult
B. Many people go to the gym
C. Regular exercise lowers the risk of heart disease
D. Some people dislike running
C. Regular exercise lowers the risk of heart disease
Which is the BEST supporting evidence?
A. I think uniforms are good
B. Uniforms are boring
C. Studies show uniforms reduce bullying
D. Some students dislike uniforms
C. Studies show uniforms reduce bullying
Which text feature helps readers locate information quickly?
A. Dialogue
B. Heading
C. Character
D. Plot
B. Heading
Read the sentence:
“The author uses vivid imagery to convey the feeling of fear throughout the story.”
What does convey MOST nearly mean?
A. Hide
B. Describe in detail
C. Communicate
D. Compare
C. Communicate
Read the sentence:
“School lunches are disgusting and completely unacceptable for students.”
What does this reveal about the author’s perspective?
A. Positive
B. Neutral
C. Negative
D. Unclear
C. Negative
What is the theme?
“A character continues to try after failing multiple times and finally succeeds.”
A. Failure is permanent
B. Success comes from persistence
C. Luck determines success
D. Success is easy
B. Success comes from persistence
What is the counterclaim?
A. The main argument
B. Evidence supporting the claim
C. The opposing viewpoint
D. The conclusion
C. The opposing viewpoint
Which structure shows how two things are alike and different?
A. Cause and effect
B. Problem and solution
C. Compare and contrast
D. Chronological
C. Compare and contrast
Read the sentence:
“The organization plans to distribute food and supplies to families affected by the storm.”
What does distribute MOST nearly mean?
A. Collect
B. Share or give out
C. Hide
D. Sell
B. Share or give out
An article only includes evidence that supports one side of an argument and ignores all opposing viewpoints.
What does this MOST likely indicate about the author?
A. The author is unbiased
B. The author is credible
C. The author is biased
D. The author is neutral
C. The author is biased
Which statement is a central idea rather than a supporting detail?
A. The storm caused flooding in three areas
B. Many families lost power for two days
C. Severe weather can have widespread impacts
D. Emergency crews worked overnight
C. Severe weather can have widespread impacts
Which sentence is a rebuttal?
A. However, later start times improve student focus and health
B. Some argue school should start early
C. Schools should start later
D. Students attend school daily
A. However, later start times improve student focus and health
Which structure is used?
“Because of heavy rain, the game was canceled.”
A. Problem/Solution
B. Cause/Effect
C. Compare/Contrast
D. Description
B. Cause/Effect
Read the sentence:
“Because the company failed to follow safety rules, it faced legal liability for the accident.”
What does liability MOST nearly mean?
A. Reward
B. Opportunity
C. Success
D. Responsibility for something, especially a problem
D. Responsibility for something, especially a problem
Read the excerpt:
“Some believe year-round school improves learning. However, extended breaks allow students to rest and return more focused.”
What is the author doing in this excerpt?
A. Stating only their opinion
B. Providing a definition
C. Presenting opposing viewpoints
D. Giving a statistic
C. Presenting opposing viewpoints
Which sentence BEST explains how details support a central idea?
A. Details repeat the same idea
B. Details introduce a new topic
C. Details provide evidence that develops the central idea
D. Details are unrelated to the main idea
C. Details provide evidence that develops the central idea
Which BEST explains strong evidence?
A. It is based on opinion
B. It is emotional only
C. It is relevant and supported by facts
D. It is unrelated to the claim
C. It is relevant and supported by facts
Which BEST explains how text features support understanding?
A. They distract the reader
B. They provide additional information and organization
C. They replace the main text
D. They add opinions
B. They provide additional information and organization
Read the sentence:
“The defender was able to intercept the pass before it reached the receiver.”
What does intercept MOST nearly mean?
A. Throw
B. Catch or stop something before it reaches its destination
C. Watch carefully
D. Return
B. Catch or stop something before it reaches its destination