Informational Text and Text Features Quiz

Grade 6 · English · Quiz

Test your ability to analyze nonfiction texts and identify organizational structures.

Questions

What does a caption provide?
1. The main argument of the article
2. An explanation of a photograph or diagram
3. A list of key vocabulary words
4. A preview of the next section
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Answer: An explanation of a photograph or diagram
Captions appear below or beside images and explain what they show, giving context the reader might not get from the image alone.
The main idea of a text is always stated in the first sentence of the first paragraph.
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Answer: False
The main idea can appear anywhere — in the first paragraph, the last, or spread throughout. Readers must synthesize the whole text.
Signal words like 'first,' 'next,' and 'finally' indicate a ___ organizational structure.
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Answer: chronological
Time-order signal words indicate chronological structure — the author is presenting events as they occurred in sequence.
A firsthand account or original document from the time period being studied is called a:
1. Secondary source
2. Reference source
3. Primary source
4. Tertiary source
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Answer: Primary source
A primary source is created at the time of the event — diaries, letters, original photographs, and official documents are examples.
Text features like bold words and sidebars are only decorative and don't affect understanding.
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Answer: False
Text features are functional, not decorative — they guide navigation, highlight key vocabulary, and present supporting data visually.
The pattern of organizing information by showing similarities and differences is called ___ and contrast.
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Answer: compare
Compare-and-contrast structure examines how two or more things are similar and different, often using a Venn diagram or point-by-point format.
Which is the BEST strategy when you want to quickly find if a book covers a specific topic?
1. Read every page from the beginning
2. Check the table of contents or index
3. Look at the pictures
4. Read only the first paragraph of each chapter
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Answer: Check the table of contents or index
The table of contents and index are navigation tools designed for exactly this — finding where specific topics appear without reading everything.
A text states: 'Bee populations have dropped by 30% in ten years. Scientists link this decline to pesticide use and habitat loss.' What structure is this?
1. Chronological
2. Description
3. Compare and contrast
4. Cause and effect
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Answer: Cause and effect
The text explains why bee populations dropped (pesticide use, habitat loss) — those are causes with a clear effect (population decline).
An inference requires the reader to combine text evidence with their own background knowledge.
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Answer: True
Making an inference is like detective work — you combine clues from the text with what you already know to reach a logical conclusion.
A source that analyzes or summarizes primary sources is called a ___ source.
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Answer: secondary
Secondary sources like textbooks, biographies, and documentaries interpret or analyze primary sources rather than being firsthand accounts.

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