ACCUPLACER Reading flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Central idea

The main point the author makes about a topic, stated or implied, that unifies the whole passage rather than only a single paragraph.

Supporting detail

A specific fact, example, or statistic that advances or illustrates the passage's main point; its relevance depends on the claim it supports.

Valid inference

A conclusion logically required by the text, such that the passage could not be true while the inference were false.

Stated versus implied detail

A stated detail appears explicitly in the text; an implied detail is unstated but necessarily follows from what the passage says.

Summary versus paraphrase

A summary restates the passage's whole point at the same level of generality; a paraphrase rewrites one specific portion in different words.

Function of a detail

The role a sentence or example plays in its paragraph, such as supporting, qualifying, illustrating, or contrasting the paragraph's main claim.

Chronology signal words

Words such as first, then, meanwhile, after, and ultimately that mark the order of events and help sequence narrative or historical passages.

Too-broad answer choice

An option that restates a topic larger than the passage's actual claim, so the whole text cannot support it.

Tone-consistent interpretation

Restating figurative or complex language in literal terms while preserving the original tone, degree of certainty, and emphasis.

Author's purpose

The reason the author writes the passage, such as to persuade, explain, compare, or criticize; distinct from the topic being discussed.

Point of view

The perspective from which a passage is told, signaled by pronouns and by whose experience, judgments, and information the text presents.

Denotation versus connotation

Denotation is a word's dictionary meaning; connotation is the positive, negative, or neutral feeling the word carries in context.

Loaded language

Word choices with strong emotional connotation that reveal the author's bias and push the reader toward a particular evaluation.

Text structure

The organizational pattern of a passage, such as cause-effect, comparison, problem-solution, chronological, or claim-evidence, usually marked by transitions.

Warrant in an argument

The unstated assumption linking an author's evidence to the claim; if the warrant fails, the evidence no longer supports the conclusion.

Counterargument and rebuttal

A counterargument states an opposing view; a rebuttal answers it by conceding, qualifying, or refuting it with evidence or reasoning.

Hasty generalization

A fallacy that draws a broad conclusion from too few or unrepresentative examples, such as one anecdote standing in for a trend.

Paired-passage synthesis

Answering a question by combining information from two passages, where the correct choice depends on both texts rather than one alone.

Partial agreement

A case where two authors accept the same fact but disagree about its importance, cause, or implication.

Contradiction versus emphasis

A contradiction means both claims cannot be true; a difference in emphasis means both are true but weighted differently.

Cross-passage response question

A question asking how the author of passage two would likely react to a specific claim made in passage one.

Scope mismatch

An error in which a claim true for one passage's population, region, or time period is wrongly applied to another.

Primary versus secondary source

A primary source is firsthand evidence such as data or testimony; a secondary source interprets or summarizes primary material.

Source reliability comparison

Judging sources by evidence type, date, sample size, and potential bias to decide which claim a paired-passage question should favor.

Context clue

Surrounding words that reveal a word's meaning through definition, example, contrast, cause-effect, or tone.

Substitution test

Replacing the target word with each answer choice and rereading the sentence to check whether meaning and grammar still fit.

Connotation in word choice

The evaluative shade a word carries, such as thrifty versus stingy, which affects tone even when denotations match.

Multiple-meaning word

A word with several senses, such as run, whose correct meaning in a passage is fixed by nearby nouns, verbs, and context.

Figurative meaning

An expression whose intended meaning is not literal, such as a house of cards meaning a fragile plan.

Referent of a pronoun

The noun or phrase a pronoun such as it, this, or they refers to, found by matching number and logic earlier in the text.

Register

The level of formality in word choice, ranging from casual to academic, which must match the passage's audience and tone.

Most nearly means

A question type asking for the word's meaning as used in the sentence, not its most common or first dictionary definition.