Grade 11 Reading & writing practice

What is on the worksheet

1. The right formula, the wrong model A learner correctly substitutes numbers into a constant-acceleration formula to estimate a vehicle’s travel distance. The recorded velocity data, however, show that acceleration changes sharply during the journey. The arithmetic is sound, but the model’s condition is not satisfied. The teacher asks the learner to use smaller intervals or another method consistent with the data rather than merely rechecking multiplication. Why is correct arithmetic insufficient in this example?

2. An old map at the shoreline An old map placed a footpath farther inland than a current map did. A student concluded that the shoreline had moved toward the path. Her partner noticed that the old map used a coarser scale and a different reference grid. They aligned several stable landmarks and checked the maps' dates and stated accuracy before comparing the coast. Some difference remained, but it was smaller than the initial overlay suggested. Their report distinguished possible landscape change from differences caused by mapping methods. What did the student initially infer?

   1. The shoreline had moved toward the path.
   2. The maps had identical scales.
   3. Every landmark had vanished.
   4. The path had never existed.

3. The survey headline An optional survey on a study app finds that 82% of respondents prefer digital notes. The headline reads Students reject paper. Only current app users saw the survey, and fewer than one in ten invited users responded. The result describes the respondents’ stated preferences, but it does not establish the preferences of all students or whether digital notes improve learning outcomes. Rewrite the headline so that it matches the evidence more closely.

4. Why should a quotation be followed by analysis rather than left to speak for itself?

5. What should a counterargument address?

   1. A plausible objection to the reasoning
   2. A random unrelated topic
   3. The paper size
   4. Only an insult to the author

6. Writing and argument: which term fits this description? Rethinking content, structure and meaning to improve a draft.

   1. Concession
   2. Rebuttal
   3. Revision
   4. Counterargument

7. Reading and literary analysis: which term fits this description? The part of a narrative in which central conflicts are settled or brought to a stopping point.

   1. Unreliable narrator
   2. Resolution
   3. Irony
   4. Antagonist

8. The threshold in the model A river model issued a warning when a predicted level exceeded a fixed threshold. During testing, one prediction fell just below the threshold and another just above it, even though the difference was smaller than the model's usual uncertainty. The analyst kept the operational threshold but added a review zone around it. Cases in that zone received closer attention instead of being described as completely different levels of certainty. The threshold still supported action, but the report explained that a sharp decision boundary did not make the underlying measurements equally sharp. What is the difference between a decision threshold and measurement certainty?

9. The revised conclusion After analysing a small data set, Jo wrote that a new method always improved performance. A peer reviewer noted the short study period, uncertain measurement and absence of a comparison group. Jo did not erase the results. Instead, Jo narrowed the conclusion, described the limitations and proposed a more informative follow-up study. Write a revised conclusion appropriate to the information given.

10. Reading and literary analysis: which term fits this description? The atmosphere or feeling a text creates for a reader.

    1. Resolution
    2. Foreshadowing
    3. Tone
    4. Mood

11. A relationship in the data A town reported that library visits and bicycle journeys both rose over three years. A headline claimed that visiting the library caused people to cycle more. The report itself did not track individual choices. During the same period, the town opened new cycle paths and expanded library hours. Why does the shared upward trend not establish the headline claim?

12. A source reports an association, but an essay says it proves causation. Explain the problem.

13. Writing and argument: which term fits this description? The goal a writer is trying to achieve.

    1. Audience
    2. Transition
    3. Qualifying language
    4. Purpose

14. Which sampling approach is least obviously self-selected?

    1. an optional poll on a fan page
    2. randomly contacting a defined sample
    3. asking friends who agree
    4. collecting only positive reviews

15. The threshold in the model A river model issued a warning when a predicted level exceeded a fixed threshold. During testing, one prediction fell just below the threshold and another just above it, even though the difference was smaller than the model's usual uncertainty. The analyst kept the operational threshold but added a review zone around it. Cases in that zone received closer attention instead of being described as completely different levels of certainty. The threshold still supported action, but the report explained that a sharp decision boundary did not make the underlying measurements equally sharp. What did the analyst add?

    1. a review zone around the threshold
    2. an automatic guarantee
    3. a second river
    4. a claim that uncertainty vanished

16. Which claim is too broad for evidence from one class?

    1. More testing would be useful.
    2. The class improved on this task.
    3. The trial involved one class.
    4. The method improves learning in every school.

17. Which claim is more appropriately scoped?

    1. In the supplied sample, later buses were more often delayed
    2. Every bus everywhere is always late
    3. No evidence can matter
    4. All transport is impossible

18. A bar chart starts its vertical axis at 95 rather than 0. What should a reader check?

    1. Whether all data are automatically false.
    2. Whether numbers can be ignored.
    3. Whether colours prove causation.
    4. Whether the truncated scale exaggerates visual differences.

19. Which conclusion follows “Only two small classes were studied”?

    1. All other methods are ineffective.
    2. The findings prove the method works everywhere.
    3. The findings may not generalize to all learners.

20. The cheaper proposal A headline said that Proposal B would cost 20% less than Proposal A. The detailed table showed that A included equipment, installation and five years of maintenance, while B listed equipment and installation only. Both arithmetic totals were correctly added, but they covered different things. The review group requested a common five-year cost comparison and kept uncertain maintenance estimates visible. After the missing category was included, B still appeared cheaper, though by a much smaller margin. The headline had been numerically neat but incomplete. Why keep uncertain estimates visible?