How do text features such as headings and graphs support understanding?

• A. They guide focus, illustrate data, provide context, and help locate information
• B. They distract from the text
• C. They always contain errors
• D. They replace the need to read the text

Answer: (C)

Text features like headings and graphs act as navigational aids and visual summaries that support understanding. They guide focus by signaling what each section covers, helping you anticipate the main idea before reading in depth. Graphs and charts illustrate data in a visual form, making patterns, comparisons, and trends easier to see at a glance. Captions and brief notes provide context, so you don’t have to search for what a figure represents, and clearly organized headings help you locate information quickly within the text. For example, in a science article, a heading might indicate a shift to “Evidence for Change,” and a graph can show temperature trends over time, with a caption explaining the units and what the line represents. Together, these features support comprehension by chunking information, connecting data to ideas, and guiding purposeful reading.

Other statements don’t fit how text features work. They don’t inherently distract readers; when used well, headings and graphs actually streamline understanding. They don’t contain or imply errors by default, and they don’t replace reading—the text itself still provides the full explanation, with the features offering supportive shortcuts and clarity.