Question

read this paragraph.

carmen was accepted into the prestigious columbia law school in the spring of 1991. she moved to new york city the following fall and devoted herself to her studies. for three years, she spent her days in class, her evenings working in the law library, and every spare minute reading about the law. carmen graduated with honors in the spring of 1994 and accepted a job at the district attorneys office in her hometown of springfield, illinois.

why is this writing considered a biography and not a personal narrative?

• it tells an imagined story with fantastical details.
• it contains researched facts about a persons life.
• it includes the authors personal reflections.
• it explains an important historical event.

Explanation:

Analyze the text structure

The paragraph is written in the third-person point of view ("Carmen was accepted...", "She moved...", "her studies"). It details specific, verifiable events in Carmen's life, such as her acceptance to Columbia Law School in 1991, her graduation in 1994, and her job in Springfield, Illinois. This demonstrates Reading Comprehension of factual accounts.

Compare biography and personal narrative

A biography is an account of someone's life written by another person, focusing on factual, researched information. A personal narrative is written from the first-person perspective ("I", "we") and focuses on the writer's own personal experiences and reflections.

Evaluate the given options

• Option 1: "It tells an imagined story with fantastical details." This is incorrect because the text describes realistic, factual events.
• Option 2: "It contains researched facts about a person's life." This is correct because the text presents objective, chronological facts about Carmen's academic and professional journey.
• Option 3: "It includes the author's personal reflections." This is incorrect because the text is written objectively in the third person without the author's personal thoughts.
• Option 4: "It explains an important historical event." This is incorrect because the text focuses on an individual's life rather than a major historical event.

Answer:

• (A) It tells an imagined story with fantastical details.
• (B) It contains researched facts about a person's life. (Correct answer)
• (C) It includes the author's personal reflections.
• (D) It explains an important historical event.