Text Evidence

Text Evidence

Finding Evidence to Support a Claim

Open Ended

What is the difference between textual analysis and textual evidence?

Open Ended

What are the two kinds of textual evidence? How do each work?

Open Ended

Explain what an inference is, and how we draw an inference.

Multiple Choice

Claim: Parents should not give their young children access to televisions, tablets, or similar devices.Evidence: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of two have no screen time.Why does the evidence support the claim?

• Older children should similarly have little to no screen time.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics is a trusted source for recommendations about raising healthy children.

Multiple Choice

Claim: Irene and Carson have a healthy marriage.Evidence: Irene and Carson communicate openly about their problems.Why does the evidence support the claim?

• Clear communication is the hallmark of a good marriage. 
• They have been married for twenty years. 

Multiple Choice

Claim: Suzie is an exceptionally organized person.Evidence: Last month, Suzie flawlessly prepared and served a meal for thirty guests. Why does the evidence support the claim? 

• Only an organized person can successfully manage such a project. 
• Suzie also takes cooking courses at the community college. 

Multiple Choice

Claim: Large events, such as weddings, should include a range of food options for guests.Evidence: Guests may have allergies or follow a particular diet, such as vegetarianism. Why does the evidence support the claim? 

• Guests whose needs are ignored may feel dissappointed or even resentful. 
• It's important to respect the dietary restrictions of one's guests. 

Multiple Choice

Claim: Playing sports when young yields health benefits later in life.Evidence: Researchers found that World War II veterans who played varsity sports when they were younger had fewer doctor visits as older men. Chose the explanation that better explains the connection between the claim and the evidence. 

• One survey found that those who participated in high school sports were less likely to smoke eight years after graduation. 
• Needing fewer doctor visits is reflective of having better health. 

Multiple Choice

Claim: Businesses accrue productivity gains when they allow their employees to telecommute.Evidence: Studies have shown that those who work from home put in longer hours. Choose the explanation that best explains the connection between the claim and the evidence. 

• Telecommuters longer hours are reflective or greater productivity. 
• Offering telecommuting also enables companies to attract better employees: those who are the most productive. 

Multiple Choice

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” I understood that he meant a great deal more than that. In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores. Select the best evidence to support the statement "Being open-minded helps Carraway (the author) become acquainted with many different personality types."

• In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
• “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” 
• I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores.

Multiple Choice

Homer is thought to have been born sometime between 1200 and 750 B.C.E. At that time there was no calendar, so the exact year is unknown. We also don’t know where he was born. Seven different cities in Greece claim to be Homer’s birthplace. The language in the poems suggests that Homer might have been from Asia Minor, which at that time was part of Greece and today is part of Turkey. Which of the following is implicitly stated in the passage? (You can infer it, but it is not directly stated.)

• There is a lot of confusion about when and where Homer lived.
  
• There was no calendar when Homer was born.
• Many cities in Greece claim to be the birthplace of Homer.
• Homer might have been from Asia Minor.

Multiple Choice

During his short career, Houdini's death-defying feats astonished audiences. People from all walks of life came to watch Houdini escape from shackles, milk cans, and water tanks. He wasn't the first to escape from handcuffs, but his presentation beat all other magicians and delighted audiences. His first successful stage trick, however, wasn't an escape trick. It was the needle trick. 
Select the best evidence to support the statement "It was the theatricality of Houdini's performances, rather than their novelty, that made him popular with audiences." 

• People from all walks of life came to watch Houdini"
• "He wasn't the first to escape from handcuffs, but his presentation beat all other magicians and delighted audiences." 
• "His first successful stage trick, however, wasn't an escape trick." 

Multiple Choice

Bans against the distribution of free plastic bags would help reduce costs for retailers. Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim? 

• In recent years, a number of states have passed statutes banning the distribution of free plastic bags. 
• Plastic bags take decades, if not centuries, to degrade and therefore take up a significant amount of space in landfills
• The one hundred billion plastic bags distributed in the U.S. each year cost reatilers an estimated four billino dollars. 

Multiple Choice

Urban sprawl--the rise of low-density suburbs outside of urban centers--should be severely restricted because of the strain it puts on government agencies. Which is the strongest evidence to support this claim? 

• The low-density suburbs created by urban sprawl often require new roads and highways, which are costly to build and maintain.
• Several studies show that better school systems are found in suburban areas. 
• As a sustainable cities blogger puts it, "Urban sprawl is the epitome of wasteful living. Density is key to a sustainable future." 

Multiple Choice

To improve the quality of instruction, students should be able to grade their teachers. Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim? 

• Speaking to a local journalist, one student said, "Student assessments of teachers are necessary for quality instruction to occur. I'm grateful that the administration adopted this much- needed program." 
• Several students surveyed about their teachers' effectiveness said that they questioned the anonymity of the survey and therefore were not completely truthful. 
• In one school, almost all teachers reported that they would change their approach if student feedback indicated that it was not working. 

Multiple Choice

Bill Clinton was the most effective president of the second half of the twentieth century. Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim? 

• Clinton signed the 1993 Brady Bill, which requires a waiting period and background check before purchasing handguns. 
• During Clinton's presidency, the crime reate dropped every year, which was the longest continuous drop on record. 
• Even after leavin g the White House, Clinton remained popular with the American people. 

Multiple Choice

Wikipedia is not a reliable source for academic research. Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim? 

• Information on Wikipedia is not necessarily posted by subject-matter experts. 
• Wikipedia was launched in 1999, whereas the Encyclopedia Britannica has been published continuously since 1768. 
• Wikipedia is a non-profit, which means that any profit it makes is reinvested in the business. 

Multiple Choice

Cheerleading, which requires great physical skill, is a legitimate sport. Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim? 

• A high school senior told the school newspaper: "My brother is a football player, and as a cheerleader, I train just as hard, take just as many risks, and compete just as seriously as he does." 
• The American Medical Association, the nation's largest physician's group, officially recognizes cheerleading as a sport.
• Researchers have concluded that cheerleading is now the leading cause of catastrophic injuries for all high school and college females. 

Multiple Choice

Contrary to what some may say, bike-sharing programs are safe. Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim? 

• One study found that only thirty percent of riders participating in a bike-share program in Washington, D.C. wore helmets, as compared with seventy percent of riders who owned their own bikes. 
• A caller to a radio program about bike-sharing programs said, "Bike-sharing programs allow people who may not own bicycles a transportation option that lets them get physical exercise while reducing carbon emissions."
• A team of Seattle-based researchers foudnd that cities that adopted bike-sharing programs saw cyclist injuries decrease by twenty-eight percent.

Multiple Choice

Schools should require uniforms, which makes students safer by deterring crime. Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim? 

• After one year of having a uniform policy, Nevada's Sparks Middle School experienced a two-thirds reduction in police log reports. 
• In one survey, 86% of principals and other school leaders agreed that uniforms make a "significant, positive impact on peer pressure."
• A study found that, on average, the introduction of school uniforms in the most violent schools increased the volume of assaults. 

Multiple Choice

Criminalizing cyber-bullying is not the most effective solution to the problem.Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• "Many of my students complain about headaches, which I believe are caused by too much time spent on their tablets," said eighth-grade science teacher Tom Pittman.
• Tablets in the classroom, which are usually equipped with a web browser and a variety of applications, are a source of distraction.
• The co-director of the Cyber-bullying Research Center stated that the best responses to cyber-bullying include in-school detention and family partnership programs.