Praxis Reading › Distinguishing fact from opinion
According to the 2011 Census, just under 33,000 Canadians self-identified as Buddhist. As a devoted member of a secluded Buddhist community, that number seemed low to me.
The first sentence of the passage expresses a(n) ____________ while the second expresses a(n) ________________.
quantifiable fact . . . opinion
opinion . . . quantifiable fact
example . . . quantifiable fact
educated opinion . . . invalid opinion
statistic . . . educated opinion based on private research
This question asks you to make a simple distinction between fact and opinion. The first sentence cites a statistical, quantifiable fact (note that the number quoted is particular to the number on the Census, and no broader claim is made), the second expresses a purely speculative opinion based on anecdotal evidence particular to the speaker's experiences and cultural context.