Question

read this excerpt from a passage.

in 2008, the once thriving company took a financial blow during the great recession. profits fell, but that was not the story the leaders of the company were telling. the ceo was obviously aware of the corruption happening in her company and even encouraged it for her own gain. unethical accounting practices made the company appear to be profitable to shareholders. the companys net worth seemed to hold steady as the rest of the market fell, day after day. finally, a whistleblower in the accounting department uncovered the scheme. unbelievably, none of the wrongdoers were arrested.

which of these sentences is an opinion disguised as a fact?

• profits fell, but that was not the story the leaders of the company were telling.

• in 2008, the once thriving company took a financial blow during the great recession.

• the ceo was obviously aware of the corruption happening in her company and even encouraged it for her own gain.

• the companys net worth seemed to hold steady as the rest of the market fell, day after day.

Explanation:

To determine which sentence is an opinion disguised as a fact, we analyze each option:

• "Profits fell, but that was not the story the leaders of the company were telling." This can be verified (check if profits fell and what story leaders told), so it's a fact.
• "In 2008, the once thriving company took a financial blow during the Great Recession." This is a verifiable event (2008 recession, company's financial state), so it's a fact.
• "The CEO was obviously aware of the corruption happening in her company and even encouraged it for her own gain." The word "obviously" implies a judgment or opinion about the CEO's awareness and actions, rather than a verifiable fact. It assumes the CEO's intent and awareness in a way that may not be objectively provable.
• "The company’s net worth seemed to hold steady as the rest of the market fell, day after day." "Seemed" here is a description of perception, but the net worth holding steady (or not) and the market falling are verifiable, so it's a fact - based observation.

Answer:

C. The CEO was obviously aware of the corruption happening in her company and even encouraged it for her own gain.