Copyright © 2006 StudyIsland.com - All rights reserved.
Generation Date: 10/16/2007
Generated By: Albert Deep
Fact and Opinion
1. Which of these statements contains an opinion?
A. The George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal is a great convenience to the
15,000 commuters who use the bus lines each day.
B. The George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal is built over the Trans-Manhattan
Expressway between 178th and 179th Streets.
C. The George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal is a commuter bus terminal
located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge.
D. The George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal is served by numerous commuter
buses to New Jersey and beyond, and several local buses.
Charlie Sifford was the first African American golfer to play on the PGA Tour and the first to win a
PGA Tour event. He is also one of the most inspirational golfers in history.
Sifford was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He began work as a caddy at the age of thirteen.
Later he competed in the golf tournaments that black golfers organized for themselves as they were
excluded from the PGA of America. He first attempted to qualify for a PGA Tour event at the 1952
Phoenix Open, where he was subjected to threats. In 1957 he won the Long Beach Open, which
was not an official PGA Tour event. It was co-sponsored by the PGA and had some well-known
white players in the field. He became a member of the Tour in 1961 and went on to win two official
money events. He also won the 1975 Senior PGA Championship. The Senior PGA Championship is
the most important tournament for golfers over fifty. However, he was never invited to compete at
the Masters Tournament. This fact remains one of the greatest injustices in sports history.
In 2004, Charlie Sifford was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, located in beautiful St.
Augustine, Florida. He chose the white South African Gary Player to perform the induction. Gary Jim
Player is one of the greatest players in the game's history.
2. Which of these sentences from the selection contains an opinion?
A. Sifford was born in Charlotte, North Carolina.
B. He chose the white South African Gary Player to perform the induction.
C. However, he was never invited to compete at the Masters Tournament.
D. This fact remains one of the greatest injustices in sports history.
3. Which of these sentences from the selection is a fact?
A. The Senior PGA Championship is the most important tournament for golfers
over fifty.
B. Gary Jim Player is one of the greatest players in the game's history.
C. He is also one of the most inspirational golfers in history.
D. He began work as a caddy at the age of thirteen.
4. Which of these sentences from the selection contains an opinion?
A. He first attempted to qualify for a PGA Tour event at the 1952 Phoenix Open,
where he was subjected to threats.
B. Charlie Sifford was the first African American golfer to play on the PGA Tour
and the first to win a PGA Tour event.
C. Later he competed in the golf tournaments that black golfers organized for
themselves as they were excluded from the PGA of America.
D. In 2004, Charlie Sifford was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, located
in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida.
5. Which of these is an opinion?
A. On the upcoming ballot, voters will decide if they want to approve bonds for
new parks, new schools, and new roads.
B. If the bond for new roads is approved, a new road that would connect Main
Street to State Highway 10 will be built.
C. The issue of money for new parks is the most important issue on the ballot
because we do not have enough parks.
D. Oak Park, the city's oldest park, has three playgrounds, five baseball fields,
and four soccer fields.
6. Which of these is a fact?
A. The Parthenon was built in the 5th century BC in Athens, Greece.
B. The Greeks' greatest accomplishment was the construction of the Parthenon.
C. The Parthenon is the only site worth visiting in Athens.
D. The Parthenon is the most important building to have survived from antiquity.
7. Which of these statements is a fact?
A. Banksias grow as trees or woody shrubs.
B. Banksias produce beautiful flowering spikes.
C. Banksias are easily recognized.
D. Banksias excrete delicious-smelling nectar.
8. Which of these statements is an opinion?
A. King Rat follows life in a prisoner of war camp in World War 2.
B. King Rat is a 1965 film version of the James Clavell novel King Rat.
C. King Rat should have won an Academy Award for Art Direction.
D. King Rat was directed by Bryan Forbes and starred George Segal as Corporal
King.
Goya painting stolen while in transit
A painting by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya was stolen last week on the way from Ohio to
New York for an exhibition.
The 228-year-old painting "Children with a Cart" was stolen near Scranton, Pennsylvania. It was
insured for more than $1 million.
The work was to be displayed at a Guggenheim exhibition, "Spanish Painting from El Greco to
Picasso: Time, Truth and History," scheduled to open next week. The exhibition is not likely to be
well-attended now that Goya's most important painting is missing.
The painting was being carried by a professional art transporter at the time of the theft, the
museums said. The museums also said the FBI was investigating the theft.
The museums added that it would be very difficult to sell the painting on the open market. The
insurer had offered an extremely generous reward of $50,000 for information leading to its recovery.
Goya was born in Spain in 1746 and died in 1828. He is the greatest Spanish painter of all time.
He was a painter of Spanish royalty and also depicted scenes of horror in a time of social and
political upheaval.
"Children with a Cart" was painted in 1778 as a model for a tapestry. It shows four colorfully
dressed children and a wooden cart at the base of a dark tree, with a billowing cloud in the
background. This is Goya's most interesting painting.
9. Which of these is an opinion from the passage?
A. The painting was being carried by a professional art transporter at the time of
the theft, the museums said.
B. Goya was born in Spain in 1746 and died in 1828.
C. The museums also said the FBI was investigating the theft.
D. He is the greatest Spanish painter of all time.
10. Which of these is an opinion from the passage?
A. "Children with a Cart" was painted in 1778 as a model for a tapestry.
B. This is Goya's most interesting painting.
C. The museums also said the FBI was investigating the theft.
D. Goya was born in Spain in 1746 and died in 1828.
11. Which of these is a fact from the passage?
A. The exhibition is not likely to be well-attended now that Goya's most important
painting is missing.
B. The insurer had offered an extremely generous reward of $50,000 for
information leading to its recovery.
C. The 228-year-old painting "Children with a Cart" was stolen near Scranton,
Pennsylvania.
D. This is Goya's most interesting painting.
12. Which of these is an opinion?
A. Carole Joan Crawford won the 1963 Miss World contest, representing Jamaica.
B. The 1963 Miss World contest was held in London, United Kingdom.
C. The most beautiful women in the world live in Jamaica.
D. Carole Joan Crawford was the first black winner of Miss World.
13. Which of these statements is an opinion?
A. Since 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by over one and a half
million Scouts.
B. Requirements the Eagle Scout rank include a demonstration of service and
leadership.
C. An Eagle Scout is a Scout with the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of
America.
D. An Eagle Scout ranking is one of the greatest honors a young man can receive.
14. Which of these is an opinion?
A. Belgium is the most fascinating country in Europe.
B. Belgium has a population of over ten million people in 11,700 square miles.
C. 58% of the Belgian population speaks Dutch, and 42% of the population
speaks French.
D. Belgium is a country in northwest Europe bordered by the Netherlands.
Heavy-handed on cell phones
At the risk of being called fuddy-duddies, let us say that we're normally foursquare behind school
administrators who crack down on their students' increasingly self-absorbed and willful behaviors.
Generally speaking, schools have become far too indulgent.
That said, we have to say that in the case of the McKee High School administration versus the
students, we stand with the kids...up to a point.
McKee Principal Linda Waite sent a letter to students' homes on Friday that warned students that
their cell phones, iPods and CD players would be confiscated if the students brought them to school.
These items would not be returned until retrieved by a parent or guardian on the next open school
days on Oct. 26 and Oct. 27 -- more than six weeks from now.
The principal cited "an increased number of incidents where students are having their cell phones,
iPods and CD players stolen citywide" in justifying this tough revision of previous school policy.
According to students, such non-electronic items as hats and wallet chains were also confiscated,
again, "in order to protect our students from becoming victims of crime," Ms. Waite said. In some
cases, the contraband was taken from jeans pockets and school bags.
The Department of Education's policy on cell phones is way too heavy-handed. No, students should
not be allowed to take their cell phones and other devices into class, where they might be disruptive,
but they should be allowed to carry them to and from school.
In this case, McKee is preventing the students from having any access to the phones for six weeks,
in and out of school. Is that the school's right, whatever the justification? Why does a student have to
live with the consequences of school policy on cell phones when he or she is not even in class...and
for six weeks?
Students, as well as lots of other people, use cell phones to communicate, including with their
parents. They're a necessary evil. Ban cell phones in the classroom, by all means, but there has to
be a way short of this all-encompassing ban to separate students from their cell phones in class,
while allowing them to have them at other, non-school times. adapted from
http://www.silive.com/editorials/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/115815440991050.xml&coll=1
15. Which of these is a fact from the passage?
A. McKee Principal Linda Waite sent a letter to students' homes on Friday that
warned students that their cell phones, iPods and CD players would be
confiscated if the students brought them to school.
B. They're a necessary evil.
C. The Department of Education's policy on cell phones is way too heavy-handed.
D. Generally speaking, schools have become far too indulgent.
Answers
1. A
2. D
3. D
4. D
5. C
6. A
7. A
8. C
9. D
10. B
11. C
12. C
13. D
14. A
15. A
Explanations
1. A fact is a statement can be proven. An opinion cannot be proven. There is no
way to prove that "the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal is a great
convenience to the 15,000 commuters who use the bus lines each day." Though
many people may agree that the terminal is convenient, some may believe that it
is inconvenient.
2. A fact is a statement can be proven. An opinion cannot be proven. There is no
way to prove that Sifford not getting invited to compete in the Masters is "one of
the greatest injustices in sports history." Some might believe that it is not an
injustice at all. Some might believe that other events in sports history are much
more important and noteworthy. Don't be confused by people who mask their
opinions by using the word "fact."
3. A fact is a statement that can be proven. By interviewing Charlie, you could
prove that he did in fact begin work as a caddy at the age of 13.
4. A fact is a statement can be proven. An opinion cannot be proven. The correct
answer contains an opinion about St. Augustine, Florida. There is no way to
prove that St. Augustine, Florida is beautiful. Some people may think it is an ugly
place.
5. "The issue of money for new parks is the most important issue on the ballot
because we do not have enough parks" is an opinion. There is no way to prove
that this "is the most important issue on the ballot" or that "we do not have
enough parks." Someone else might think that other issues on the ballot are
more important or that the number of parks is sufficient.
6. "The Parthenon was built in the 5th century BC in Athens, Greece" is a fact. This
is a statement that can be supported by historical evidence. The other
statements are opinions that can not be proven right or wrong.
7. A fact is a statement can be proven. By talking to a botanist (someone who
studies plants) or doing your own research, you can prove that Banksias grow as
trees or wood shrubs. Opinions are statements that cannot be proven. The other
answer choices could not be proven as true.
8. A fact is a statement can be proven. An opinion cannot be proven. There is no
way to prove that "King Rat should have won an Academy Award for Art
Direction." Someone else might believe that another movie should have won the
Academy Award. In fact, Ship of Fools won the 1965 Academy Award for Art
Direction, so you know that others definitely had a different opinion!
9. The statement "He is the greatest Spanish painter of all time" is an opinion
because it expresses how the author feels about Goya. Others may agree or
disagree with this statement, and there is no way for this statement to be proven
right or wrong. The other statements are facts that can be verified.
10. The statement "This is Goya's most interesting painting" is an opinion because it
expresses how the author feels about the painting. Others may agree or disagree
with this statement, and there is no way for this statement to be proven right or
wrong.
11. A fact is a statement that can be proven. By asking investigators and art
historians, you can confirm that the facts found in the correct answer.
12. A fact is a statement can be proven. An opinion cannot be proven. There is no
way to prove that "the most beautiful women in the world live in Jamaica." Some
people may believe that the most beautiful women in the world live somewhere
else. Beauty is a matter of opinion.
13. A fact is a statement can be proven. An opinion cannot be proven. There is no
way to prove that "an Eagle Scout ranking is one of the greatest honors a young
man can receive." Some people do not care about the Eagle Scout ranking and
would not find it to be a great honor.
14. "Belgium is the most fascinating country in Europe" is an opinion. While the
author might hold the opinion that Belgium is the most fascinating country in
Europe, others could disagree with this statement. There is no way to prove
which European country is the most fascinating. Some might not find Belgium
fascinating at all.
15. A fact is a statement that you can check or prove with evidence (proof). This
evidence may be in the form of the something someone says, something you
see, or something written in a book or text. In other words, a fact is something
that can be demonstrated or proven. In this case, it is a fact that Principal Linda
Waite sent a letter to students' homes on Friday warning the students that cell
phones and other items would be confiscated if the students brought them to
school.
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