Which statement about text complexity and question difficulty is true?

Which statement about text complexity and question difficulty is true?

• A. More complex texts require higher-order thinking and precise evidence from the text.
• B. Complexity has no impact on question difficulty.
• C. Short texts are harder than long texts.
• D. Visual aids determine difficulty.

Answer: (A)

When a text is more complex, readers must engage in higher-order thinking—analyzing arguments, evaluating evidence, drawing inferences, and determining author purpose—and they need to point to precise evidence from the text to justify their answers. This is why the statement about text complexity and question difficulty is true: tougher texts push students to use deeper reasoning and to cite exact passages or details to support their conclusions. It’s not just about length; a short passage can be just as challenging if it requires nuanced interpretation. Visual aids can help, but they don’t by themselves set the difficulty level—the demanding cognitive work comes from the text itself and the need to back up reasoning with precise textual evidence.

When a text is more complex, readers must engage in higher-order thinking—analyzing arguments, evaluating evidence, drawing inferences, and determining author purpose—and they need to point to precise evidence from the text to justify their answers. This is why the statement about text complexity and question difficulty is true: tougher texts push students to use deeper reasoning and to cite exact passages or details to support their conclusions. It’s not just about length; a short passage can be just as challenging if it requires nuanced interpretation. Visual aids can help, but they don’t by themselves set the difficulty level—the demanding cognitive work comes from the text itself and the need to back up reasoning with precise textual evidence.