GED Reasoning Through Language ArtsReading ComprehensionHard
A journalist is writing an investigative report on the effectiveness of a new government policy. The report begins by outlining the policy's stated goals, then presents data on its initial implementation, followed by interviews with both proponents and critics, and finally concludes with an analysis of its early outcomes. What is the most appropriate description of the overall text structure used in this report?
- ADescriptive
- BCause and Effect
- CChronological
- DTopical/Analytical
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Topical/Analytical
The report moves through distinct topics (goals, implementation, viewpoints, outcomes) to analyze the policy comprehensively. While there are chronological elements, the overarching structure is organized by different aspects or 'topics' of the policy's effectiveness, culminating in an analysis.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. While it contains descriptions, the primary purpose is analysis and evaluation, not merely describing the policy.
- B. Cause and effect might be part of the analysis of outcomes, but it's not the primary organizing principle for the entire report, which covers goals, implementation, and opinions too.
- C. While there is a sequence of events (initial implementation, early outcomes), the structure is not purely chronological but organized by thematic aspects of the policy evaluation.
Text Structure: Topical/Analytical
A text structure that organizes information by distinct sub-topics or components of a larger subject, often leading to an analysis or evaluation of the whole.
- Breaks down a complex subject into manageable parts.
- Each section addresses a different aspect or theme.
- Common in reports, essays, and academic papers that aim to explore a subject deeply.
Memory trick: Non-fiction structures are maps for understanding complex ideas.