VCLA Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment - Reading (091) Practice Tests and PDFs

(1)What are the criteria for determining whether the evidence presented in a quantitative study is convincing or not? (2) One is whether the study has internal validity, which means there are no other plausible competing interpretations of the results. (3) A study with internal validity does not have confounding variables. (4) Confounding variables are variables unrelated to the treatment that may be influencing the outcome. (5) For example, if students in intervention classrooms are receiving free lunches and students in control classrooms are not, it is impossible to be certain that any difference in classroom performance is due to the intervention itself. (6) The free lunch is a confounding variable. (7) In another example, if students taught to use an imagery strategy are led to believe they are being taught this strategy because they are smart, it is impossible to know whether any improved performance is due to the imagery instructions. (8) The difference could simply reflect enhanced self- esteem due to the comment made to them about their intelligence. The author explains that, if children believe they are being observed because they are smart, then the study....

(1) Why do people wear contact lenses? (2) There are people who wear contact lenses, instead of glasses, for esthetical reasons. (3) They like themselves better with contact lenses than with glasses. (4) Another reason that drives people to wear contact lenses is the cosmetic one. (5) There is a great variety of decorative contact lenses that can change the eye's appearance. (6) And there are those who appreciate their practical side. (7) They cannot play certain sports with glasses; they use devices that are incompatible with glasses, etc. (8) There is that category of people who are forced to wear contact lenses for therapeutic reasons. (9) In their case, the contact lens is not an option. (10) The contact lens can be a bandage in the healing process of different diseases or injuries of the cornea, and it is a luxury that heals. (11) There is also a combination between the two reasons - color lenses with correction power which actually please a lot of people. What is the main purpose of this passage?

(1) Why do people wear contact lenses? (2) There are people who wear contact lenses, instead of glasses, for esthetical reasons. (3) They like themselves better with contact lenses than with glasses. (4) Another reason that drives people to wear contact lenses is the cosmetic one. (5) There is a great variety of decorative contact lenses that can change the eye's appearance. (6) And there are those who appreciate their practical side. (7) They cannot play certain sports with glasses; they use devices that are incompatible with glasses, etc. (8) There is that category of people who are forced to wear contact lenses for therapeutic reasons. (9) In their case, the contact lens is not an option. (10) The contact lens can be a bandage in the healing process of different diseases or injuries of the cornea, and it is a luxury that heals. (11) There is also a combination between the two reasons - color lenses with correction power which actually please a lot of people. The author lists all of the following as reasons people wear contact lenses EXCEPT

(1)What are the criteria for determining whether the evidence presented in a quantitative study is convincing or not? (2) One is whether the study has internal validity, which means there are no other plausible competing interpretations of the results. (3) A study with internal validity does not have confounding variables. (4) Confounding variables are variables unrelated to the treatment that may be influencing the outcome. (5) For example, if students in intervention classrooms are receiving free lunches and students in control classrooms are not, it is impossible to be certain that any difference in classroom performance is due to the intervention itself. (6) The free lunch is a confounding variable. (7) In another example, if students taught to use an imagery strategy are led to believe they are being taught this strategy because they are smart, it is impossible to know whether any improved performance is due to the imagery instructions. (8) The difference could simply reflect enhanced self- esteem due to the comment made to them about their intelligence. According to the passage, which of the following is not a confounding variable?

(1)You could have two items that are exactly the same and find that one is worth a good bit of money but the other is virtually worthless. (2) This can happen for many different reasons, but to an untrained eye these reasons are very difficult to see. (3) This is why so many valuables are sold for pennies at yard sales and beginning collectors pay much more than some items are actually worth. (4) Knowledge and a depth of history are extremely important when judging the value of antiques! (5) Until you get to that expert level with a rich knowledge of the items you are analysing, you need the help of a good antique price guide. (6) However, you still need to analyse your chosen antique price guide with some care as well. (7) There are some guides that just base their prices on public record of what the items have sold for in auctions. (8) While these estimated figures may be useful if you plan on purchasing items to sell in auctions, it is not an accurate way to judge the real value of an item. How much an item sells for at auction is a good indicator as to how much the item is worth.

(1) Why do people wear contact lenses? (2) There are people who wear contact lenses, instead of glasses, for esthetical reasons. (3) They like themselves better with contact lenses than with glasses. (4) Another reason that drives people to wear contact lenses is the cosmetic one. (5) There is a great variety of decorative contact lenses that can change the eye's appearance. (6) And there are those who appreciate their practical side. (7) They cannot play certain sports with glasses; they use devices that are incompatible with glasses, etc. (8) There is that category of people who are forced to wear contact lenses for therapeutic reasons. (9) In their case, the contact lens is not an option. (10) The contact lens can be a bandage in the healing process of different diseases or injuries of the cornea, and it is a luxury that heals. (11) There is also a combination between the two reasons - color lenses with correction power which actually please a lot of people. According to the passage, people wear contact lenses for all but which of the following reasons?

(1)What are the criteria for determining whether the evidence presented in a quantitative study is convincing or not? (2) One is whether the study has internal validity, which means there are no other plausible competing interpretations of the results. (3) A study with internal validity does not have confounding variables. (4) Confounding variables are variables unrelated to the treatment that may be influencing the outcome. (5) For example, if students in intervention classrooms are receiving free lunches and students in control classrooms are not, it is impossible to be certain that any difference in classroom performance is due to the intervention itself. (6) The free lunch is a confounding variable. (7) In another example, if students taught to use an imagery strategy are led to believe they are being taught this strategy because they are smart, it is impossible to know whether any improved performance is due to the imagery instructions. (8) The difference could simply reflect enhanced self- esteem due to the comment made to them about their intelligence. The author is explaining what significant concept?

(1)What are the criteria for determining whether the evidence presented in a quantitative study is convincing or not? (2) One is whether the study has internal validity, which means there are no other plausible competing interpretations of the results. (3) A study with internal validity does not have confounding variables. (4) Confounding variables are variables unrelated to the treatment that may be influencing the outcome. (5) For example, if students in intervention classrooms are receiving free lunches and students in control classrooms are not, it is impossible to be certain that any difference in classroom performance is due to the intervention itself. (6) The free lunch is a confounding variable. (7) In another example, if students taught to use an imagery strategy are led to believe they are being taught this strategy because they are smart, it is impossible to know whether any improved performance is due to the imagery instructions. (8) The difference could simply reflect enhanced self- esteem due to the comment made to them about their intelligence. The author explains internal validity as the following:

(1)Is there any knowledge in the world which is so certain that no reasonable man could doubt it? (2) This question, which at first sight might not seem difficult, is really one of the most difficult that can be asked. (3) When we have realized the obstacles in the way of a straightforward and confident answer, we shall be well launched on the study of philosophy—for philosophy is merely the attempt to answer such ultimate questions, not carelessly and dogmatically, as we do in ordinary life and even in the sciences, but critically, after exploring all that makes such questions puzzling, and after realizing all the vagueness and confusion that underlie our ordinary ideas. (4) The passage can best be described as

(1) Why do people wear contact lenses? (2) There are people who wear contact lenses, instead of glasses, for esthetical reasons. (3) They like themselves better with contact lenses than with glasses. (4) Another reason that drives people to wear contact lenses is the cosmetic one. (5) There is a great variety of decorative contact lenses that can change the eye's appearance. (6) And there are those who appreciate their practical side. (7) They cannot play certain sports with glasses; they use devices that are incompatible with glasses, etc. (8) There is that category of people who are forced to wear contact lenses for therapeutic reasons. (9) In their case, the contact lens is not an option. (10) The contact lens can be a bandage in the healing process of different diseases or injuries of the cornea, and it is a luxury that heals. (11) There is also a combination between the two reasons - color lenses with correction power which actually please a lot of people. In sentence 8, “therapeutic” most nearly means