RS-4 Distinguish statements supported by evidence from those that are not Quiz: AQA English Language, Unit 3

The 20 questions

1. Which statement is supported by evidence rather than being a bare assertion?

   • Anyone who drives a car is clearly selfish and does not care about the health of their community
   • The number of cyclists rose by 15 per cent after the lanes were built, according to the council's count
   • Cycling is the best way to live a happy life, and everyone should give it up in favour of cars
   • The future of the city depends entirely on the mood of the people who happen to live there now

2. A text says 'Obviously, the plan will fail.' What is missing that would make this statement supported?

   • Evidence, such as data or reasoned reasons, that shows why the plan is likely to fail
   • A more exciting adjective, such as 'spectacularly', to make the prediction feel stronger to readers
   • A longer sentence, so that the prediction seems more considered and detailed to the reader
   • A reference to the weather, since predictions about the future always depend on the weather

3. Which of these is a statement of fact that could be checked?

   • The museum should be the proudest symbol of the nation and every citizen ought to visit it
   • The museum is a place that makes people feel nostalgic and sad whenever they walk through it
   • The museum is the most beautiful building ever constructed in the entire history of the country
   • The museum opened in 1894 and attracts about 80,000 visitors each year, according to its own report

4. A writer states that 'Children now read less than ever before' but gives no data. What is the best evaluation?

   • The claim is unsupported because it offers no figures or source, so the reader cannot verify it
   • The claim is supported by its tone, which sounds confident and sincere to the average reader
   • The claim is fully supported because the writer uses a general statement that most people would accept
   • The claim is supported because it is printed in a national newspaper and so must be accurate

5. Which sentence from a review is supported by textual evidence?

   • The film will be remembered forever as a masterpiece by all future generations of audiences
   • The film is probably the best of the year, and anybody who disagrees has poor taste in cinema
   • The film is quite dull and nobody who sees it will ever want to watch another film again
   • The film's final scene uses slow camera movement, which the reviewer links to the mood of loss

6. Which of these is an inference rather than a directly stated fact?

   • The writer states that the family had two children and a dog, all of whom lived in the town
   • The writer states that the family lived in a house with three bedrooms on the north side
   • The writer implies that the family was poor, because they sold their only car to pay for food
   • The writer states that the family sold their only car to pay for the children's school uniforms

7. A review states that a novel's characters are 'believable' and gives a quote showing a character's conflict. What is the status of the claim?

   • Supported, because the claim is backed by a quotation that illustrates the point being made
   • Unsupported, because quotations never support claims and can only be used to add decoration
   • Supported, because the word 'believable' is a fact that can be measured with a standard scale
   • Unsupported, because the claim is an opinion and so can never be based on any kind of evidence

8. Which sentence is a claim that is not supported by the text it is written about?

   • The writer describes the town's market in detail, including stalls selling fruit, bread and fish
   • The writer describes the sound of traders calling out prices from their stalls at dawn each day
   • The writer says the town's market is always crowded, though the text never describes any visitors
   • The writer notes that the market is held on Saturdays and closes at two in the afternoon

9. Which of these statements would need the most evidence to be supported?

   • The bridge crosses the river at its widest point, as shown on the map printed in the guide
   • The new bridge has reduced journey times by half, according to every commuter surveyed last year
   • The bridge is painted a pleasant shade of blue, which many people in the town seem to prefer
   • The bridge has two lanes and a footpath running along the eastern side of the structure

10. A text says 'Many critics agree that the novel is flawed.' Which evaluation is most accurate?

    • The claim is supported, because the novel is widely read and so the critics must have agreed
    • The claim is vague, as 'many' is not quantified, and the critics are not named or quoted
    • The claim is fully supported, because the word 'many' is precise and the critics agree with each other
    • The claim is supported, since critics are experts and any expert opinion must be treated as fact

11. Which of the following is an opinion rather than a fact?

    • The painting was bought by the gallery in 1921 after a public auction in the capital city
    • The painting is the most moving work of its era, and it deserves a place in every gallery
    • The painting measures two metres by three metres and is made from oil on canvas as stated
    • The painting was completed in 1862 and now hangs in the gallery's east wing on the first floor

12. Which statement shows a writer supporting a point with a reference to the text?

    • Her decision to leave the village at dawn, as the text shows, suggests she feared being seen
    • Her decision is one that many readers would find difficult, and it is typical of such characters
    • Her decision is the best in the whole book, because it marks the moment she grows up at last
    • Her decision to leave the village is obviously brave, and anyone would agree with that judgement

13. A text says 'The company made a profit of £2 million, which proves it is the most successful firm in the country.' What is the problem?

    • The claim is a fact, because a profit figure is always a complete and sufficient measure of success
    • The figure is in pounds rather than euros, so the claim cannot be made in any valid form at all
    • A profit figure alone does not prove the firm is the most successful, so the conclusion is unsupported
    • The claim uses the word 'proves', which is always an error in any type of non-fiction writing

14. Which best describes a statement that is 'not supported by evidence'?

    • A claim that uses a metaphor, because metaphors are never allowed to appear in factual writing
    • A claim that is false, because any statement without support in a text must always be untrue
    • A claim that is quoted directly from another writer's work, which should be avoided in answers
    • A claim that the text does not back up with facts, examples, data or reasoned argument

15. Which pair shows one supported and one unsupported statement?

    • Supported: 'Rainfall doubled in June, the data shows.' Unsupported: 'The rain will ruin everyone's holiday.'
    • Supported: 'The rain is awful and dreadful.' Unsupported: 'The rain is cold and wet at night.'
    • Supported: 'Everybody dislikes the rain.' Unsupported: 'Many people walk in the rain each day.'
    • Supported: 'The rain will ruin everyone's holiday.' Unsupported: 'Rainfall doubled in June, the data shows.'

16. Which statement is most clearly based on evidence in the text rather than the reader's assumptions?

    • The writer assumes that the council must have been dishonest, since all councils are known to lie
    • The writer cites the dates of three letters sent by the council, which support the timeline described
    • The writer feels that the council was unfair, although no facts about its actions are given at all
    • The writer believes that the council will always be disliked by residents in the years to come

17. Which is the most accurate way to distinguish a supported claim from an unsupported one?

    • Check whether the claim is long, since longer claims are always better supported by the writer
    • Check whether the claim uses a question, since questions are the only form of supported claim
    • Check whether the claim is written in the first person, since that always makes it unsupported
    • Check whether the claim is backed by specific evidence in the text that a reader can point to

18. Which of these sentences from an article is a supported statement about a mountain path?

    • The path is so ugly that it makes every walker who sees it feel deeply sad and disappointed
    • The path was closed for three weeks after the landslide, the warden's log confirms, so walkers were diverted
    • The path will always be the most dangerous route in the region, and this is an undeniable truth
    • The path is a dreadful place that nobody with any sense would ever choose to walk along at all

19. A reviewer says a play's second act is 'too long' and quotes the run time printed in the programme. What is the status of the claim?

    • Supported, because the judgement of length is linked to a specific measurable detail given in the text
    • Unsupported, because the programme is not a text and so it cannot be used as any kind of evidence
    • Supported, because any claim using the word 'too' is automatically supported by the reviewer's authority
    • Unsupported, because a judgement about length can never be made by a reviewer who has seen a play

20. Which is the strongest evidence for the claim that a character is lonely?

    • She seems lonely to me, and I think readers would feel the same way about her as well
    • She is probably lonely, because most people in the world are lonely at some point in their life
    • She eats every meal alone and the text repeatedly describes empty chairs at the dinner table
    • She must be lonely, since lonely characters are always the most interesting ones in any novel

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