Time and space practice questions.

In media analysis, 'framing' refers to

• only the physical decorative border printed around a photograph or illustration, and nothing else about the content
• the way a text selects and emphasises certain aspects of an issue to shape how the audience understands it
• the font used in a headline
• the length of an article

Answer: the way a text selects and emphasises certain aspects of an issue to shape how the audience understands it

Framing decides which angle is foregrounded; the same event framed as 'protest' or 'riot' invites opposite readings.

Which set correctly lists common purposes of a text?

• to inform, persuade, entertain, instruct
• to alphabetise, count, sort, index
• to translate, encode, compress, encrypt
• to rhyme, scan, alliterate, pun

Answer: to inform, persuade, entertain, instruct

Identifying purpose (often more than one) is the first analytical step, since it drives a text's language and form.

The choice between a formal and an informal register is mainly determined by

• purely the length of the individual words and sentences, nothing else
• the context, purpose and relationship with the audience
• the colour of the page
• the number of images

Answer: the context, purpose and relationship with the audience

Register adjusts to situation: a job application demands formality, while a chat message invites the informal.

The difference between a sociolect and a dialect is that a sociolect is tied to

• a particular geographical region or place
• a social group, class or profession
• a historical period only
• the written language only

Answer: a social group, class or profession

Dialect varies by place; sociolect varies by social grouping such as class, occupation or subculture.

Specialised vocabulary used within a particular profession or field, such as legal or medical terms, is called

• dialect
• jargon
• euphemism
• connotation

Answer: jargon

Jargon aids precision among insiders but can exclude or confuse a general audience if used without explanation.

A newspaper headline and an accompanying photo caption function together mainly to

• provide a full academic bibliography and a complete list of the article's cited sources
• grab attention and steer how the reader interprets the story and image
• provide a full bibliography
• replace the article entirely

Answer: grab attention and steer how the reader interprets the story and image

Headlines hook and frame; captions anchor an image's meaning, so both shape reading before the article begins.