Analyzing Informational Texts: Elements and Structures
4 Read the passage from "Carrots with Character," which is an informational text about the health benefits of genetically modified carrots. The researchers, led by plant geneticist Philipp Simon, haven't limited themselves to the color orange. They've selectively bred a rainbow of carrots—purple, red, yellow, even white. Scientists are learning that these plant pigments perform a range of protective duties in the human body—which is not surprising, says Simon, since many of the pigments serve to shield plant cells during photosynthesis. Red carrots derive their color mainly from lycopene, a type of carotene believed to guard against heart disease and some cancers. Yellow carrots accumulate xanthophylls, pigments similar to beta-carotene that support good eye health. Purple carrots possess an entirely different class of pigments—anthocyanins—which act as powerful antioxidants. While colored carrots are unusual, they're not exactly new. "Purple and yellow carrots were eaten more than 1,000 years ago in Afghanistan and 700 years ago in western Europe," says Simon. "But the carrot-breeding process has gone on intensively for just 50 years." Simon and his team of ARS researchers and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) have recently shown that their highly pigmented carrots are a ready source of some sought-after nutrients. Which statement best explains how the author's use of evidence supports the text's purpose? The author explains that carrot-breeding has only been done for the past 50 years. The author directly quotes research scientists who have been studying the carrots. The author states that red, yellow, and purple carrots each provide specific health benefits. The author writes that the use of differently colored carrots in diets dates back over 1,000 years.
? C The author states that red, yellow, and purple carrots each provide specific health benefits.
In 1953, Robert Rauschenberg, who was then an up-and-coming American artist, plucked up the courage to ask Willem de Kooning, an established abstract expressionist, for one of his drawings. Rauschenberg did not tell de Kooning much — just that he intended to use it for an unusual project. Although de Kooning was disapproving, he acquiesced. After securing his gift, Rauschenberg proceeded, over the period of a month, to carefully erase all traces of the expressive pencil, charcoal, and crayon drawing that de Kooning had put to paper. Rauschenberg then re-titled the work, now preserved in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Art, "Erased de Kooning Drawing." -"Banksy and the Tradition of Destroying Art,"Preminda Jacob Why does the author end the example by stating that the piece is now in a museum? To point out that acts of defiance can end up as valuable works of art To establish that Rauschenberg is an important artist To describe how de Kooning helped other artists rebel To recognize the value of each piece of art created
A
Jean Tinguely's auto-destructing work, "Homage to New York" (1960), is probably the closest parallel to Banksy's stunt. Made of scrap found in New Jersey junkyards, the massive work — 27 feet high and 23 feet in length — was supposed to be a mechanical display, sort of like a Rube Goldberg device. -"Banksy and the Tradition of Destroying Art,"Preminda Jacob Read the excerpt carefully. Which text structure does the excerpt use? Comparison-contrast Problem-solution Cause-effect Sequence
A
Which choice best describes a reason a writer uses commentary? To provide explanation and analysis of evidence To organize paragraphs by when events happened To condense several ideas into a few sentences To synthesize main ideas from the text
A
The piece was set up in the sculpture garden of New York's Museum of Modern Art, and those attending the show included collectors Walter Arensberg and John D. Rockefeller III, and artists John Cage, Mark Rothko and Robert Rauschenberg. Tinguely briefly set the piece in motion — and then it burst into flames. -"Banksy and the Tradition of Destroying Art,"Preminda Jacob Read the excerpt carefully. Which choices best explain how the text uses structures to develop an overall design? Check all that apply. It describes the situation. It gives examples of collectors. It explains the cause of the issue. It tells the sequence that happened. It elaborates on the problem at the museum.
A B D
What is a common feature of a sequence text structure? organizing paragraphs by time explaining how things are alike and different explaining how problems are solved organizing paragraphs by aspects
A organizing paragraphs by time
Though the market value of his work has soared in recent years, Banksy continues to paint images in public spaces that make preservation near impossible — and even invite theft or defacement. Still, as guerrilla theater, Banksy's recent act will be tough to beat. It's certainly his most subversive and penetrating public foray into the elite art marketplace. But even with all his critique, the question continues to nag: Is Banksy complicit with the art market? The very society he undermines, one that feeds on spectacle, has made him famous and his art immensely profitable. -"Banksy and the Tradition of Destroying Art,"Preminda Jacob Read the excerpt carefully. Based on the text, which statement would the author most likely agree with? Banksy dislikes the elite marketplace for art. Banksy's true motives for destroying art are unknown. Banksy's art style has temporary value that will disappear. Banksy intentionally destroys art to increase the value of his work.
B
Read the passage from "Bullying in Early Adolescence." A short-term investigation of over 500 middle school students (grades 6-8) found an increase in bullying behavior among sixth-graders over a 4-month period (Espelage, Bosworth, & Simon, 2001). The authors speculated that the sixth-graders were assimilating into the middle school, where bullying behavior was part of the school culture. This speculation is supported by the theory that bullying is a learned behavior, and that as they enter middle school, sixth-graders have not yet learned how to interact positively in the social milieu of the school. Many sixth-graders who wish to "fit in" may adopt the behaviors—including teasing—of those students who have been in the school longer and who have more power to dictate the social norm. Which combination of text structures is used in this passage? sequence and description description and cause-effect cause-effect and problem-solution problem-solution and sequence
B description and cause-effect
Read the passage from "Introduction to the Holocaust." In the aftermath of the Holocaust, many of the survivors found shelter in displaced persons (DP) camps administered by the Allied powers. Between 1948 and 1951, almost 700,000 Jews emigrated to Israel, including 136,000 Jewish displaced persons from Europe. Other Jewish DPs emigrated to the United States and other nations. The last DP camp closed in 1957. Which combination of text structures is used in this passage? comparison-contrast and sequence sequence and cause-effect problem-solution and comparison-contrast comparison-contrast and cause-effect
B sequence and cause-effect
5 Which phrase best describes the purpose of a thesis in an informational text? to provide facts, data, and examples to support the main ideas to explain the central idea of the text and focus readers' thoughts to illustrate the connection between the central idea and the evidence to build the body of the text by illustrating ideas and concepts
B to explain the central idea of the text and focus readers' thoughts
How does the overall design of "Banksy and the Tradition of Destroying Art" support the author's purpose? In five to seven sentences, state the purpose and provide evidence from the text that shows how informational text structures support this purpose.
By substituting a weapon with a lot of flowers, Banksy is making peace instead of war, and he opted to take this message of peace to high-conflict areas. The work also carries the message that peace comes with active hard work.
British artist Anish Kapoor created Cloud Gate. It was his first public outdoor work installed in the United States. It was installed in Millennium Park in Chicago in 2004. Cloud Gate is the official name of the large mirror bean that draws millions of visitors each year. The artwork is a 110-ton elliptical sculpture that looks like a bean. It is 66-feet long by 33-feet high with a 12-foot-high arch in the middle. It is constructed of a seamless series of polished stainless-steel plates, which allows the outside to reflect Chicago's skyline. Which is the purpose of the commentary in the underlined text? To state the main idea of the text To provide evidence supporting the thesis To illustrate what the artwork looks like To provide examples of artwork
C
French-American artist Marcel Duchamp is perhaps the most well-known Dadaist. In 1917, his "Fountain," a urinal laid on its back and remounted on a pedestal, was his first volley against the art market's intellectual pretenses about art. -"Banksy and the Tradition of Destroying Art,"Preminda Jacob Read the excerpt. Which element of an informational text does the excerpt primarily show? An effect of Dadaism A thesis about Dadaism An example of a Dadaist A conclusion about Dadaists
C
In shredding "Girl With Balloon," Banksy seems to be pointing to a central absurdity of his graffiti art being treated as fine art. When it appears on city streets, anyone can vandalize it; now that the same images are in galleries and auction houses, they must be handled with white gloves. -"Banksy and the Tradition of Destroying Art,"Preminda Jacob Read the excerpt carefully. What is the author's primary purpose in contrasting the different ways Banksy's graffiti art is handled? To show the versatility in Banksy's art To complain about the way Banksy's art is treated To encourage readers to ponder how art gets its value To encourage readers to have a negative opinion of the art
C
Though the market value of his work has soared in recent years, Banksy continues to paint images in public spaces that make preservation near impossible — and even invite theft or defacement. -"Banksy and the Tradition of Destroying Art,"Preminda Jacob Read the excerpt carefully. The author primarily uses which text structure to support the idea that Banksy does not want his artwork bought and sold? Sequence Description Problem-solution Comparison-contrast
C
In which type of text structure will an author most likely use words like because, as a result, and consequently? problem-solution comparison-contrast cause-effect sequence
C cause-effect
EXAM 100% 1 Read the passage from "When Good People Do Bad Things," which is an informational text about research into group behaviors. In a study that recently went online in the journal Neurolmage, the researchers measured brain activity in a part of the brain involved in thinking about oneself. They found that in some people, this activity was reduced when the subjects participated in a competition as part of a group, compared with when they competed as individuals. Those people were more likely to harm their competitors than people who did not exhibit this decreased brain activity. What is the author's most likely purpose for writing this particular passage? to explain possible causes of harmful group behavior to suggest solutions for reducing harmful group behavior to explain reasons for decreased brain activity to suggest solutions for decreased brain activity
C to explain reasons for decreased brain activity
3 Read the passage from "Stalin: A Brutal Legacy Uncovered," which is an informational text about Stalin's atrocities and how he used ambition and fear to rule over people of the Soviet Union. As Khrushchev informed the closed session of the Party apparatchiks, his report—which has entered history as the "Secret Speech"—was based on research by a special commission of senior leaders of the Communist Party. It covered primarily only one part of Stalin's murderous record: the peak years of his savage "Great Purge" in the mid- and late 1930s, a massacre that wiped out a whole generation of Bolsheviks, the Party's oldest and most faithful members. Khrushchev, who went on to become the Soviet prime minister, said next to nothing about the rest of Stalin's victims, who have been estimated at more than 20 million. Stalin's genocidal record was the product of a ruthless, steely personality hardened by searing hardships in his youth: first, brutal beatings by his alcoholic, dirt-poor father; and later, several rounds of imprisonment and exile—from which he often escaped—following his expulsion from a Russian Orthodox seminary for fomenting a strike of railroad workers. For the 20-year-old Stalin, an outstanding student with top marks in Bible and Church studies, the strike was the first step on a new road—a career of rebellion, crime, and radical politics that eventually made him the unquestioned boss of the Communist Party and of 140 million people in the Soviet Union. What is the purpose of the commentary in the underlined text? to give evidence of Stalin's savage murders to provide examples of Stalin's genocidal actions to explain why Stalin became a ruthless murderer to summarize Stalin's time as a Communist leader
C to explain why Stalin became a ruthless murderer
But in 2001, Michael Landy of the Young British Artists group orchestrated the most comprehensive "art as destruction" work to date. Titled "Break Down," Landy placed objects on a conveyor belt running into a machine that pulverized them. In the process, he destroyed all of his belongings — 7,227 pieces in all — including his own paintings and the art of his Young British Artist peers. -"Banksy and the Tradition of Destroying Art,"Preminda Jacob Which choice best shows how the excerpt uses an informational text structure? It explains the causes of artists destroying their art. It shows the effects of artists destroying their art. It shows how artists destroying their art addresses a problem. It describes an example of artists destroying their art.
D
Some of the most well-known of Banksy's subversive artistic predecessors were part of the early-20th century Dada movement. One of their principal strategies involved denying the market of objects that could be commodified. French-American artist Marcel Duchamp is perhaps the most well-known Dadaist. In 1917, his "Fountain," a urinal laid on its back and remounted on a pedestal, was his first volley against the art market's intellectual pretenses about art. -"Banksy and the Tradition of Destroying Art,"Preminda Jacob Read the excerpt carefully. How does the author develop the idea that Banksy is part of a historical pattern? By comparing Banksy's art displays to Duchamp's displays By defining the problem Banksy had and how Duchamp solved it By describing events in chronological order in the development of the trend By providing an example of an earlier artist doing something similar to Banksy
D
Which choice best defines evidence? Shortened accounts of main points The main idea of an informational text The expression of opinions or explanations Facts or examples that support ideas presented
D
2 Read the passage from "Introduction to the Holocaust." In 1933, the Jewish population of Europe stood at over nine million. Most European Jews lived in countries that Nazi Germany would occupy or influence during World War II. By 1945, the Germans and their collaborators killed nearly two out of every three European Jews as part of the "Final Solution," the Nazi policy to murder the Jews of Europe. Although Jews, whom the Nazis deemed a priority danger to Germany, were the primary victims of Nazi racism, other victims included some 200,000 Roma (Gypsies). At least 200,000 mentally or physically disabled patients, mainly Germans, living in institutional settings, were murdered in the so-called Euthanasia Program. As Nazi tyranny spread across Europe, the Germans and their collaborators persecuted and murdered millions of other people. Between two and three million Soviet prisoners of war were murdered or died of starvation, disease, neglect, or maltreatment. Which statement does the evidence in the passage best support? Before the Holocaust, the Jewish population of Europe was over nine million. Many Jews lived in countries that Nazi Germany would occupy during World War II. The Nazis had a policy, called the "Final Solution," to murder Jews who lived in Europe. The Holocaust was the systematic murder of people based on their race or their identity.
D The Holocaust was the systematic murder of people based on their race or their identity.
Read the passage from "Bullying in Early Adolescence." We cannot assume that bullying among young adolescents is a simple interaction between a bully and a victim. Instead, recent studies and media reports suggest that there are groups of students who support their peers and sometimes participate in teasing and harassing other students. It seems important for families, schools, and other community institutions to help children and young adolescents learn how to manage, and potentially change, the pressure to hurt their classmates in order to "fit in." What is the author's purpose in choosing the problem-solution text structure in the passage? to show the events that occur during bullying to show how bullying is different from other issues to emphasize how bullying can result in different situations to emphasize that bullying is a serious issue and what actions can be taken
D to emphasize that bullying is a serious issue and what actions can be taken
identify each text structure to its correct definition
comparison-contrast > shows how things are sequence > explains events in time order description > uses detail to organize a text comparison-contrast > shows how things are alike and different cause-effect > tells how an event makes another occur
Which types of journalism have you read or viewed in the past week? Check all that apply. News of daily events Sports reporting Business and financial reports Investigative reports
doesn't matter
match words to correct definitions
evidence > information that supports an idea summary > synthesis of key points of a text commentary > explanation and analysis of evidence conclusion > ends a text thesis > states the central idea of text
