P2-S4 Journalism, articles, reports and essays Quiz: AQA English Language, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. What is the function of a headline in a news article?

   • To grab attention and summarise the main point of the story quickly
   • To give the exact time at which the events happened, so that readers can place them in the day
   • To introduce the writer's biography for the reader, so that they know who is writing the piece
   • To list the sources used for each factual claim, so that readers can check the evidence in the article

2. What is a byline?

   • A summary placed under the headline
   • The line naming the writer of an article
   • A sentence that closes the article
   • A list of footnotes at the foot of the page

3. Which feature is typical of a formal report?

   • A chatty letter with an informal sign-off, addressed to a friend about the trip last summer
   • A first-person diary entry with no headings, written in a personal voice about the events of the day
   • A poem with regular rhyme and metre, set out in stanzas about the events of the year
   • Headings, numbered sections and a clear summary of findings

4. What does an essay's thesis do?

   • Offers a joke to lighten the mood before the main argument, so that the reader is more relaxed
   • States the main argument that the rest of the essay develops and supports
   • Gives the page numbers of quotations in order, so that the examiner can find each one quickly
   • Lists the references used at the end of the essay, set out in order by the page on which they appear

5. Which feature helps a report's reader find key findings quickly?

   • A set of instructions for the reader to follow
   • A summary or executive summary placed at the start
   • A list of quotations with no context or commentary
   • A long, unbroken paragraph covering all the findings

6. What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?

   • An opinion is always printed in bold in the article, so readers can spot it at a glance
   • A fact can be verified as true, while an opinion expresses a belief or judgement
   • A fact is always longer than an opinion in the text, since facts need more words to be stated
   • A fact is always written in the first person throughout, so that the writer is clearly present

7. Which example is an opinion rather than a fact?

   • The policy was published in the official gazette, in the same format as other government notices
   • The new policy is unfair and should be scrapped immediately
   • The policy was announced in March of the year, after a long period of public consultation
   • The policy applies to all councils in the region, which were each notified by letter last spring

8. What does an opening news paragraph usually do?

   • Repeats the headline in a longer sentence, so that the reader sees the story title again
   • Answers the key questions of who, what, when and where at once
   • Offers a poem that sets the mood of the piece, so that the reader is drawn in through imagery
   • Lists the writer's qualifications and past articles, so that readers can judge their authority

9. Which technique helps an essay sound measured and reasonable?

   • Repeated slogans that avoid any evidence altogether, so that the argument stays broad and general
   • Absolute claims such as always and never with no support, which make the argument seem certain
   • Exaggerated adjectives and exclamation marks throughout, which make the piece sound very excited
   • Hedging language such as perhaps, arguably or it could be argued

10. Why do journalists often use a quotation from an interviewee?

    • To lengthen the piece to meet the word count only, adding material that is not needed for the story
    • To replace the need for any facts or evidence in the article, so that the story is told by the speaker
    • To hide the writer's identity behind a named speaker, so that the piece sounds more objective
    • To give a voice to a source and add credibility or colour to the story

11. Which feature is typical of a feature article rather than a hard news report?

    • A more personal, descriptive style with a focus on a human story
    • A numbered set of recommendations for a government body, placed at the end of the article
    • A formal legal summary of the court's decision, written in neutral and precise legal language
    • A list of verified statistics with no narrative at all, set out in a table with the sources

12. What is a caption on a news photograph for?

    • To explain what the picture shows and add context for the reader
    • To repeat the headline in a smaller font, so that the photograph is linked to the story title
    • To list the page numbers where the story continues, so that readers can find the rest of the piece
    • To give the reporter's home address for readers, so that they can write in with comments

13. Which sentence uses a rhetorical question for persuasion?

    • Would any parent accept such a risk for their own child?
    • The train service runs every fifteen minutes in peak hours.
    • The committee met on Tuesday to discuss the timetable.
    • What time does the train leave from the station?

14. A report recommends three actions. Which feature does this show?

    • A clear conclusion section that sets out practical recommendations
    • A dialogue between two imagined characters at a meeting, which presents the findings in a lively way
    • A poem that explains the findings through imagery, which makes the results memorable for readers
    • A personal anecdote about the author's childhood holiday, which shows why the subject matters to them

15. What is the purpose of a counter-argument in an essay?

    • To insert a joke that distracts from the main point, so that the reader is taken off the topic
    • To agree fully with the opposing view and drop the argument, so that the essay concedes the point
    • To list the opposing writer's biography in detail, so that readers can judge the author's background
    • To acknowledge an opposing view and then show why the writer's case is stronger

16. Which feature suggests a newspaper article's tone is objective?

    • Direct commands to the reader in each paragraph, which tell readers exactly what they should think
    • A first-person account of the writer's personal opinions, set out in the opening and closing paragraphs
    • Strong evaluative adjectives used in every sentence, which make the report sound passionate and sure
    • Neutral vocabulary and balanced reporting of several views

17. Harder: Which judgement about an article's use of statistics is the most developed?

    • The figures should be ignored because statistics are never useful in any kind of persuasive writing
    • The figures prove the argument without any need for analysis, so the reader can accept them directly
    • The figures give authority, but the reader should check their source and what they actually show
    • The figures are always accurate because they are printed in the paper, which checks them before publishing

18. Harder: Which evaluation of an essay's structure is the most accurate?

    • Structure is irrelevant if the essay uses enough statistics, because numbers carry the argument alone
    • Structure matters only for the title and not the body of the essay, which is judged on its ideas
    • A longer essay always makes a stronger argument than a shorter one, whatever its organisation
    • A logical sequence of points, each linked to the thesis, makes the argument easy to follow

19. Harder: A feature article uses one vivid human story to illustrate a wider issue. Which judgement is the most balanced?

    • It is always less effective than a list of statistics on any topic, because numbers are more persuasive
    • It proves the wider issue, because the story is so vivid that the reader cannot doubt its truth
    • It engages the reader emotionally, but a single case may not represent the whole issue
    • It has no value in journalism because it is personal and not factual, so it should be left out

20. Harder: Which claim about the difference between journalism and opinion writing is the most accurate?

    • Opinion writing must avoid all evidence and rely only on feelings, since evidence makes it dull
    • News reporting and opinion writing have identical aims and methods, so they can be used interchangeably
    • News reporting is always opinion, and opinion is always news, so the two forms cannot be separated
    • News reporting aims at factual accuracy, while opinion writing openly argues a particular view

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