Skill and Form Number: Distinguishing Fact From Opinion #1
Distinguishing Fact From Opinion
1. Which of the following statements is an opinion?
A. Seatbelts are too uncomfortable for most children to use.
B. People are less likely to suffer injuries in a wreck if they wear a
seatbelt.
C. Seatbelts reduce damage to crash test dummies in simulated wrecks.
D. Driving an automobile can be dangerous if one is not careful.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
2. Which of the following statements is a fact?
A. Playing violent video games have no affect on aggression.
B. Playing violent video games causes aggression.
C. Some people argue that playing violent video games causes
aggressive behavior.
D. Violent video games should be banned.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
3. Which of the following statements is a fact?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ocean
Ocean
Ocean
Ocean
waves
waves
waves
waves
are
are
are
are
dangerous to some beach goers.
relaxing to listen to.
beautiful to watch.
fun to ride.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
4. Which of the following statements is a fact?
A. Asian martial arts movies are released worldwide because they are
good.
B. Asian martial arts movies are better today than they were in the
1970s.
Skill and Form Number: Distinguishing Fact From Opinion #1
C. Asian martial arts movies are currently being made by celebrated
directors like Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou.
D. Asian martial arts movies are boring and repetitive.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
After losing out five times, director Martin Scorsese was finally a winner. Scorsese
was awarded his first Oscar on February 25, 2007. His brilliant mob informer movie The
Departed was the best film of 2006. He, along with actors, producers, and film
technicians, was celebrated at the 79th annual Academy Awards.
Moments after Scorsese walked offstage, The Departed won the award for best
picture. Scorsese's acceptance speech was one of the funniest and most moving
moments of the show. He was presented the award by Stephen Spielberg, Francis Ford
Coppola, and George Lucas.
Scorsese, 64, was up against Clint Eastwood two years before. Eastwood beat him
out then. He also went up against him again this year. Eastwood's beautiful film Letters
from Iwo Jima was also nominated. Eastwood is a genius director and was also
considered to be the frontrunner.
Scorsese's first directing nomination was in 1981 for Raging Bull. It starred this
generation's greatest actor, Robert DeNiro. Since then, he has been nominated on four
other occasions. On every occasion, he was robbed of the Oscar by less talented
directors.
adapted from "Scorsese Finally an Oscar Winner" by Cybil Wallace
5. Which sentence from the passage above is a fact?
A. Eastwood beat him out then.
B. Scorsese's acceptance speech was one of the funniest and moving
moments of the show.
C. His brilliant mob informer movie The Departed was the best film of
2006.
D. Eastwood's beautiful film Letters from Iwo Jima was also nominated.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
6. Which sentence from the passage above is a fact?
A. On every occasion, he was robbed of the Oscar by less talented
directors.
B. His brilliant mob informer movie The Departed was the best film of
2006.
C. Scorsese was awarded his first Oscar on February 25, 2007.
Skill and Form Number: Distinguishing Fact From Opinion #1
D. Eastwood's beautiful film Letters From Iwo Jima was also nominated.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
7. Which sentence from the passage above is an opinion?
A. Eastwood is a genius director and was also considered to be the
frontrunner.
B. He, along with actors, producers, and film technicians, was celebrated
at the 79th annual Academy Awards.
C. Moments after Scorsese walked offstage, The Departed won the award
for best picture.
D. He was presented the award by Stephen Spielberg, Francis Ford
Coppola, and George Lucas.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
8. Which sentence from the passage above is an opinion?
A. Moments after Scorsese walked offstage, The Departed won the award
for best picture.
B. Scorsese's first directing nomination was in 1981 for Raging Bull.
C. On every occasion, he was robbed of the Oscar by less talented
directors.
D. He also went up against him again this year.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
9. Which sentence from the passage above is an opinion?
A. Scorsese's first directing nomination was in 1981 for Raging Bull.
B. He was presented the award by Stephen Spielberg, Francis Ford
Coppola, and George Lucas.
C. It starred this generation's greatest actor, Robert DeNiro.
D. Since then, he has been nominated on four other occasions.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
Skill and Form Number: Distinguishing Fact From Opinion #1
QUIT SMOKING NOW!
We urge all smokers to take part in the Great American Smoke-Out next month. It is
very difficult to break a bad habit. Smokers can do themselves and others a favor by
joining the crowd.
Smoking is extremely dangerous to one's health. Every year, 390,000 Americans die
from smoking-related illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and emphysema. There
are also many other side effects that make smoking unpleasant. Cigarettes stain teeth
and smoke leaves a film on clothes, drapes, walls and everything in the environment.
Cigarette smoke smells bad! Smoking has also been found to harm the lungs of those
who live or work around a smoker.
But there is good news. More and more Americans are quitting. Now only 28% of
Americans smoke compared with 50% of adults in the 1950s. Doctors have discovered
that as soon as a smoker quits smoking, the lungs immediately start to heal themselves
to different degrees. Even if someone has been smoking for more than 20 years,
quitting now may minimize or end permanent damage to one's health.
There are other reasons also. Cigarettes are expensive. They now cost more than
$2.00 per pack. A smoker who smokes even one pack a day could save more than
$700 dollars per year. Quitting smoking cigarettes will also make it easier to be involved
in sports like tennis or swimming, which depend on healthy lungs. Keeping fit could be a
new lease on life.
There are so many good reasons to quit smoking. Quitting smoking is the best thing
a person can do for himself or herself and for loved ones. Please, for the good of all,
join with others in the Great American Smoke-Out next month.
adapted from http://www.iearn.org/circles/lcguide/mw/mw-htext.html
10. Which sentence from the passage above is a fact?
A. Cigarettes are expensive.
B. Quitting smoking is the best thing a person can do for himself or
herself and for loved ones.
C. It is very difficult to break a bad habit.
D. Now only 28% of Americans smoke compared with 50% of adults in
the 1950s.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
Skill and Form Number: Distinguishing Fact From Opinion #1
Answers
1. A
2. C
3. A
4. C
5. A
6. C
7. A
8. C
9. C
10. D
Explanations
1. An opinion is a statement that cannot be proven true or false. Opinions
are what people believe, feel, or decide about a subject.
2. A fact is a statement that you can check or prove with evidence (proof).
This evidence can be seen, said, or written by someone but must be able to
be proven true. The statement that some people make arguments about
video games causing aggressive behavior is a fact. The rest of the
statements are opinions for or against a conclusion.
3. A fact is a statement that you can check or prove with evidence (proof).
This evidence can be seen, said, or written by someone but must be able to
be proven true. You can prove that ocean waves can be dangerous, as some
people get hurt or drown in them every year.
4. A fact is a statement that you can check or prove with evidence (proof).
This evidence can be seen, said, or written by someone but must be able to
be proven true. The description that Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou are making
Asian martial arts movies is a factual statement. The other statements
express opinions regarding the quality of the movies.
5. A fact is a statement that can be proven. You could consult movie
industry magazines or newspapers to check the history of the directors and
see that they have been in contention for the same award in previous years.
6. A fact is a statement that can be proven. You could consult movie
industry magazines or newspapers to prove the date on which Scorsese won
the award.
Skill and Form Number: Distinguishing Fact From Opinion #1
7. An opinion is a statement that cannot be proven. You cannot prove that
Clint Eastwood is a "genius" director. There is no test to measure someone's
genius in making a movie. Even though it may be a popular opinion that
many people share about the director, it's still just an opinion.
8. An opinion is a statement that cannot be proven. You cannot prove that
Martin Scorsese was robbed of the award. The award itself is just the opinion
of one committee. In the previous years, that committee just had a different
opinion about his films. Even though it may be a popular opinion that many
people share about the director, that he was robbed and the award was long
overdue, it's still just an opinion.
9. An opinion is a statement that cannot be proven. You cannot prove that
Robert DeNiro is "this generation's greatest actor." Someone else may think
that Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe, or Benicio del Toro is a better actor. It's
simply one person's belief.
10. A fact is a statement that can be proven. You could consult health books
and studies to prove that the percentage of American smokers has
decreased since the 1950s.
Copyright © 2012 Study Island - All rights reserved.