Word Meaning: identifying the meaning of words

Transcription

1 Tips for Answering Reading Questions EQT 2 nd Quarter Study Guide Read the questions first. That way, you will know what to look for as you read the passage. Then, as you read the passage, look for the answers. 2. Look for key words, such as who, what, when, where, why, and how. 3. Practice scanning a passage to quickly find key words that will help you answer the questions about details. 4. Look back at the passage to locate the answer. Do Not rely on memory. 5. When you come to a word you don t know, use context clues other words in the passage that help to define or explain the unknown word. Make sure to read the words before and after the word. You may have to read a few sentences in order to understand the meaning. 6. For fill-in sentences, always read the entire sentence before you choose an answer. 7. When choosing a word to complete a sentence, try out all the answer choices in the sentence. Don t rush or be tricked by words that sound or look similar but have different meanings. 8. When identifying order of events look for key words like, first, then, next, finally, after, and at last. 9. Don t rush. 10. Always look in the directions for the bold or italic words like; correct, incorrect, or opposite. Word Meaning: identifying the meaning of words Directions: read the phrase, then choose the word that means the same as the underlined word. Example #1: 1. Mimic the actor 2. A strenuous game a. Bother a. vigorous b. Imitate b. Fair c. watch c. exciting d. enjoy d. popular In example 1, the word is mimic, which means imitate, so the answer is b. In example 2, the word strenuous means vigorous, so the answer is a. Improving your vocabulary will help you score better on tests and improve your reading comprehension. The best way to improve your vocabulary is to read stories, magazines, newspapers, letters, even food labels or play word games online. Test Taking Tips 1. Try to figure out the meaning of the underlined word before you look at the answer choices. 2. Watch out for words that are closely related, but don t have the same meaning.

2 Practice Word Meanings Directions: read each phrase and choose the meaning of the underlined words. 1. A tedious job a. Simple b. Important c. Boring d. Hard 2. confine the dog a. shut in b. train c. praise d. pet 3. fix the fracture a. break b. furniture c. mistake d. darn 4. delude the voters a. disappoint b. count c. deceive d. influence 5. activate the alarm a. ignore b. turn on c. fix d. notice 6. scrumptious berries a. rotten b. delicious c. red d. poisonous 7. made of wicker a. plastic b. rocks c. twigs d. boards 8. widely prohibited a. attended b. permissible c. criticized d. forbidden 9. an inquisitive child a. helpful b. curious c. naughty d. loyal 10. discover the hoax a. trick b. criminal c. secret d. present 11. a dank room a. Large b. Comfortable c. Airless d. damp 12. wheedle her a. Coax b. Help c. Disobey d. remember Word Analysis: recognizing prefixes, suffixes, and root words Directions: Choose the meaning of the key word. Example #1: 1. Nameless a. Like a name b. Without a name c. Before a name d. Name wrongly

3 This kind of question tests your knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and root words. The word nameless contains the suffix less, meaning without. So the correct answer is without a name. Here is a list of some common prefixes and suffixes. Prefixes Re- back, again (repeat, redo) Pre- before (pretreat) Dis- not, opposite of, reverse, separate, away (dismiss, dispose) Anti- against, opposite (antibody, antifreeze) Im - into, on, near, towards (import) In- not, near, into, towards (instead) De- from, down, away, to do the opposite, reverse, against (detach, deodorize) Ex- out of, away from, lacking, former (exit, exhale) Inter- between, among (internal, intercept) Suffixes -less without, missing (useless, -ful an amount or quality (mouthful) -ment condition or result (document, fullfilment) -ation action, resulting state (specialization) -able worth, ability (useable, valuable) -ness state, condition, quality (kindness) -er person or thing that does something (flyer, soldier) -al action, result of action (referral, festival) -ical state of being or quality (practical, logical) Example #2: this kind of question tests your knowledge of root words. Which word most likely comes from the Latin word carta, meaning paper? a. Cart b. Cartoon c. cardinal d. career Tips 1. First, separate the root word from the prefix or suffix (nameless = name + less). Then look for the meaning of the prefix or suffix in the answer choices. 2. To find the modern word, look for the word that is closest in meaning and in spelling (carta = paper; cartoon is drawn on paper). Practice: Word Analysis Directions: read the key word and choose the correct meaning. 1. Resignation a. Not resign b. Resign again c. Able to resign d. The act of resigning 2. Employer a. The state of being employed b. One who employs c. Employ wrongly d. Employed 5. predesign a. design again b. design in advance c. someone that designs d. design plan 6. transcontinental a. across the continent b. under the continent c. over the continent d. half a continent

4 3. Finality a. To make final b. Not final c. Final again d. The state of being final 4. Impractical a. Condition of being practical b. In a practical manner c. Not practical d. To make practical 7. believable a. able to be believed b. not believed c. without belief d. state of believing 8. interoffice a. within the office b. across the office c. among office d. before the office Context Clues: use context clues to find word meanings and to define multiple-meaning words. Directions: choose the word that best fits the blank. Example #1: Devon closed his eyes as the nurse gave him a shot. The sight of a needle made him. a. angry b. wounded c. courageous d. squeamish Context clues are other words in the sentence that helps you understand word meaning. In the example, the most important clue is that closed his eyes so he would not see the needle. He certainly did not feel angry or courageous, and the needle would not wound him. Example #2: The rest of the guests stared at the woman who guzzled her water noisily and then slammed her empty glass on the table. a. gulped b. filtered c. refused d. sipped There are several clues to the meaning of guzzled. It involves water and it is noisy. After the woman guzzled the water, her glass is empty. If you put all these clues together, you can figure out that guzzled means gulped. The other words do not make sense in the sentence. Example #3: Directions: read the sentence and the question and choose the word that best answers the question and completes the sentence. 3. Ms. Cranes liked her new computer because it was. Which word would suggest that Ms. Cranes could carry the computer with her? a. portable b. powerful c. economical d. advanced Example 3 involves word connotations. The exact meaning of a word is its denotation, connotation is what the word suggests. Example #4: Directions: read the sentence below and choose the sentence in which the underlined word is used in the same way. 4. The water skier leaped across the boat s wake. a. Please don t wake up your daddy.

5 b. The mayor will attend the wake for the police chief. c. Wake up before you run the car off the road. d. Our little rowboat bobbed in the wake of the ferry. This question uses multiple meaning words. In the question, wake refers to the trail of the boat. Tips: Here are some examples of different kinds of context clues. Clues Definition Description Examples Examples It tells you exactly what the word means. The definition usually follows a comma. It gives you a description of the word, explaining the meaning. It gives examples of the word. 1. The context clue may not be in the same sentence as the word. Look in the sentences before and /or after the word. 2. Try out the word in the sentence before you choose to make sure it makes sense. 3. Before you look at the answers try to figure out the meaning of the word on your own. 4. For connotations, think about what the word suggests. Practice Context Clues: 1. Poncho could see nothing but grass in every direction on the prairie. a. inviting b. burning c. boundless d. narrow 2. I can t let this feud continue. I ve got to him today. a. confront b. threaten c. discuss d. please 3. Dr. Cook has never been able to catch the the swallowtail butterfly. a. wonderful b. beautiful c. elusive d. wandering 4. We waited for the to show us to our table in the café. a. usher b. chef c. conductor d. hostess 6. Hundreds of people waiting to hear the famous orator suddenly quieted down as he walked onto the stage. a. anthem b. expert c. drama d. speaker 7. Jill can t make up her mind about whether or not to go to summer camp; she keeps vacillating. a. packing b. explaining b. wavering d. pretending 8. This poetry book is a real miscellany of different styles. a. mixture b. binding c. verse d. preface 9. The dreadful smell came from a putrefied orange that had been under the fridge for weeks. a. large b. beautiful c. dried d. rotten

6 5. The elf s king says that a human will save the kingdom from this evil threat. a. prophecy b. ring c. legislation d. chant 10. Sally raised he placard so everyone could read it and began chanting with the other demonstrators. a. caption b. voice c. sign d. forehead Directions: read the sentences below and choose the sentence that uses the underlined word in the same way. 1. I forgot to bring any money, luckily the concert was free. a. Three days later the road was finally free of debris. b. Alicia is free to use her neighbor s pool anytime. c. When Joel finishes his work, the computer will be free. d. Entrance to the fair is free, but all the rides are quite expensive. 2. The architect drew a blank line across the floor plan. a. Every time I call the garage, the line is busy. b. Once you cross the line into Mexico, you have to obey Mexican law. c. Mom scolded him for drawing a line on the wallpaper. d. Candy felt a tug on the line and started to reel it in. 4. Our piano needs to be tuned; several of the notes are flat. a. We were late to the party because we had a flat tire. b. Somebody left the cap off the bottle; the soda went flat. c. The Midwest is not flat; much of it has rolling hills. d. If the tune sounds to flat, try changing the key. 5. Do you have the sales figure from last month? a. This figure is a lot lower than I expected. b. The figure in the painting looks real. c. You can figure out the answer by following the procedure for solving equations. d. But that doesn t figure, he said he would be here early. 3. Sales went up when the restaurant cut its process. a. The factory owners cut the workers salary. b. Cut the cranberry juice with grapefruit juice so it is not so sweet. c. Brad cut his foot on a piece a glass. d. The coach cut James from the team. 6. The shopper handed a check to the sales clerk. a. The police ran a check on the car s license plate. b. The jacket is beige with a dark brown check. c. The Miller s always pay the babysitter with a check. d. The teacher put a check next to the name of each student who got on the bus. Main Idea and Details: finding the main idea and supporting details in a passage. Directions: read the passage. Choose the best answer to each question. If you know when and where to look, you can observe badgers in the wild. These creatures like to dig their large underground burrows in fairly dry, sandy soil. They usually pick sites that are covered with some kind of vegetation anything from trees to low bushes. This cover protects the badgers from being seen easily as they enter or leave their burrows. Burrows are usually located near water and often near wild berries, which badgers love to eat. Once you have located a burrow, determine which openings are currently in use. Some burrows have as many as fifty entrances. Fresh tracks at the mouth of an opening are a good indicator of recent activity. Badgers are

7 most active at night, so it best to begin your observations in the early evening. Make sure you arrive at about sunset, before the badgers begin to emerge from their tunnels. Pick a spot about ten feet from a well-used entry and climb a tree if possible. Try to position yourself so that the wind is not coming from behind you; you don t it to blow your scent toward the badgers and frighten them. Once you have found a good spot, stay as still and quiet as possible. Soon the badgers will wake up and come out to eat. 1. Which is the best title for this passage? a. Finding Burrows b. Animals of the Night c. The Habits of Badgers d. Looking for Badgers 2. Where do badgers live? a. in underground burrows b. under water c. in the branches of trees d. inside rocky caves 3. The best time to observe badgers is at about? a. noon b. sunset c. midnight d. dawn 4. Which sentence best supports the main idea of the passage? a. Some burrows have as many as fifty entrances b. badgers love to eat berries c. If you are above ground level, you will be able to see the animals better. d. This cover protects the badgers from being seen easily. Pronoun Antecedent Agreement Pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun (person, place, thing, or idea) or another pronoun (she, he it, they, we, us, everybody, who, etc. Antecedent the word that the pronoun is referring to (the pronouns subject). Pronoun antecedent agreement this is when the pronoun agrees with its antecedent. Example: Jill (antecedent) is sick, she (pronoun) has a sore throat and fever. List of indefinite pronouns (these are the pronouns that cause the most mistakes). You have to know which are singular, plural, or both. Singular antecedents agree with singular pronouns. Plural antecedents agree with plural pronouns. Singular or plural antecedents have to be determined by figuring out if they are singular or plural. You determine this by looking at the words right after the antecedent. Example: Some (antecedent) of the girls are outside, they (pronoun) are feeding the birds. Some is plural, because the word girls (in the prepositional phrase) is plural. SINGULAR PLURAL SINGULAR OR PLURAL another each everything one both all none anybody either neither somebody few any some anyone everybody nobody someone several most anything everyone no one something many

8 PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT PRACTICE Read the following sentences. If the pronoun and its antecedent in the sentence agree, mark A. If the pronoun and its antecedent disagree, mark D. EX JoNeisha wrote a letter and put them in the mail. A D 1. Everybody in the competition wanted to know their score. A D 2. All of the Hankins basketball players are at their peak physical condition. A D 3. Joe or his brother Jimmy Joe will bring their new book bag to school Monday. A D 4. The United States Army sent more of their combat troops to fight the terrorists in Iraq. A D 5. Neither of the boys drank all of their milk during lunch. A D 6. Everyone needs to take his flu shot once every year to avoid unwanted illness. A D 7. None of the team wanted to stop at the rest stop and stretch his legs. A D 8. Language arts students need to submit their tobacco or alcohol expository essays on time. A D 9. Everyone should notice the daily objectives on the board and write them in their planner. A D 10. All of the astronauts take his or her training seriously. A D 11. Each of the program instructors is an expert in their specialty. A D 12. Everybody in the space program was chosen for their abilities. A D 13. Many are eager for their chance to prove that they have the right stuff. A D 14. Each of the astronauts should know how to handle their ship in case of trouble. A D 15. Both of the first astronauts accepted their country s gratitude. A D 16. Neither of the astronauts had any regrets about his performance. A D 17. Someone waved his or her hand to the crowd and then stepped aboard the space shuttle. A D 18. Some missions of the space program have had its share of tragedies. A D 19. Everyone alive during the explosions of the Challenger remembers how they heard the terrible news. A D 20. Everybody was glued to the television after they heard the news. A D Read the following sentences. If the pronoun and its antecedent in the sentence agree, mark A. If the pronoun and its antecedent disagree, mark D. 21. Some of the networks changed its programming after the accident. A D

9 22. Everyone was shocked after they had heard the news about the Challenger. A D 23. Nobody who saw the explosion on television could get it out of their mind. A D 24. Everybody, even several astronauts in space, must take care of their body. A D 25. To make sure astronauts stay healthy, the space program has provided them with some basic necessities. A D 26. All of the astronauts need his or her sleep time. A D 27. For that reason, each of the astronauts has their own sleeping couch. A D 28. An astronaut has to strap himself or herself in it to keep from floating away. A D PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT Practice Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in each sentence. 1. The radio is old, but it works as well as the television and the CD player. A. television C. CD player B. radio D. old 2. Although she was late, the student had an excuse for the teacher in second period. A. student C. excuse B. late D. teacher 3. How do newspapers in large cities like Atlanta get their money? A. money C. their B. newspapers D. cities 4. Many people in Mobile watch their televisions on the weekend. A. televisions C. people B. weekend D. Many 5. My sister is graduating from college next year, and she plans to work in broadcasting. A. sister C. college B. broadcasting D. My 6. Television work has its advantages, but it is very hard. A. work C. hard B. advantages D. Television 7. With his own money, Kimmie s brother purchased a 1966 Corvette. A. brother C. Corvette B. money D. his

10 8. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. Has anyone ever read about prehistoric cave paintings during their trips to the library? B. No one who has ever seen prehistoric cave paintings will forget the powerful impression they make on them. C. Many have written about his impressions of prehistoric paintings of horses. D. One of the horses in a cave in France tosses its mane proudly while others watch. 9. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. Several are so skillfully painted that it looks as if it could stampede right off the cave walls! B. Some of the animals are shown making its way across the cave walls in large herds. C. Tom wrote a letter and put them in the mail. D. Everybody in the competition wanted to know his score. 10. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. Tremichael or Zac will bring their guitar. B. The United States Marine Corps sends its peacekeeping troops into Iraq. C. Everybody needs to take their dog to the vet regularly. D. Everyone should be aware of their limitations in life. 11. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. Neither of the doctors could find out what was wrong with his patient. B. If anybody wants to succeed, they need to be properly educated and trained. C. All students must see his or her counselor before going to the ninth grade. D. Somebody has left their bookbag in Mr. Wright's classroom. 12. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. Some of the boys found their glove and walked toward the outfield. B. Either the students or Mr. Wright must put their study material on the table. C. Could someone please tell me what page they are on? D. Everybody likes to go to parties because they get to meet new friends and have fun. Determine which choice shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? 13. When (John, John and Joe) slipped on the step, he fell. A. John and Joe B. John 14. The (doctor, doctors) believe that their diagnosis of the flu was correct. A. doctor B. doctors 15. The (cat, cats) are eating their dinner now. A. cat B. cats 16. The cups are sitting in (its, their) saucers. A. its B. their

11 17. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. All of the prehistoric artists who left his or her drawings on the cave walls are unknown. B. None of the artists were able to sign his or her names to the paintings because written language had not yet been developed. C. In the United States, an astronaut candidate must be recommended by their previous employer. D. Each of the astronaut candidates sent his photograph with the application. 18. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. The astronaut selection committee submits their decision to NASA. B. The astronaut selection committee submits its decision to NASA. C. When someone has been drinking, they are probably acting brutish. D. Everyone must have their pencils before beginning the test. 19. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. Everybody in the competition wanted to know their score. B. All of the Hankins basketball players are at their peak physical condition. C. Joe or his brother Jimmy-Joe will bring their new book bag to school Monday. D. The United States Army sent more of their combat troops to fight the terrorists in Iraq. 20. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. Neither of the boys drank all of his milk during lunch. B. Everyone needs to take their flu shot once every year to avoid unwanted illness. C. Language arts students need to submit his or her weather-related narrative essays on time. D. Everyone should notice the daily objectives on the board and write them in their planner. 21. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. All of the astronauts take his or her training seriously. B. Each of the program instructors is an expert in their specialty. C. Everybody in the space program was chosen for their abilities. D. Many are eager for their chance to prove that they have the right stuff. 22. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. Each of the astronauts should know how to handle their ship in case of trouble. B. Both of the first astronauts accepted their country s gratitude. C. Neither of the astronauts had any regrets about their performance. D. Someone waived their hand to the crowd and then stepped aboard the space shuttle. 23. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. Some missions of the space program have had its share of tragedies. B. Everyone alive during the explosions of the Challenger remembers how they heard the terrible news. C. Everybody was glued to the television after he or she heard the news. D. Some of the networks changed its programming after the accident.

12 24. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. Everyone was shocked after they had heard the news about the Challenger. B. Nobody who saw the explosion on television could get it out of their mind. C. Everybody, even several astronauts in space, must take care of their body. D. To make sure astronauts stay healthy, the space program has provided them with some basic necessities. 25. Which of the following sentences shows CORRECT usage of pronoun-antecedent agreement? A. All of the astronauts need his or her sleep time. B. For that reason, each of the astronauts has their own sleeping couch. C. An astronaut has to strap himself or herself in it to keep from floating away. D. After everyone is asleep, they must get enough rest for the next day's activities Use context clues to comprehend informational, recreational, and functional materials. 1. What is the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence? A smoke detector is one precaution against fire in the home. a. care taken beforehand c. action taken again b. plan made with others d. a type of warning 2. What is the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence? The volunteers set up carnival booths in spite of the prediction of rain. a. something that brings about an effect b. something told ahead of time c. something that happens again d. something likely to be true 3. What is the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence? Each year, in January, Mrs. Freethy renews her treasured library card. a. uses over and over c. makes active again b. uses another time d. goes out of use 4. What is the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence? It took the workers weeks to restore electricity to the storm damaged area. a. to put back into use c. plan for an event b. act after an event d. cooperate 5. What is the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence? The new houses were similar on the outside, but their interiors were quite different. a. yards c. gardens b. insides d. basements

13 6. What is the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence? Cooked noodles are limp, but dry noodles are rigid. a. firm c. terrible b. fresh d. tasteless 7. What is the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence? Aunt Barbara recommended vivid colors of paint to lighten the dark room. a. few c. bright b. soft d. simple 8. What is the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence? To solve the litter problem, the principal proposed that the school district furnish more trash cans. a. argued c. suggested b. questioned d. demonstrated 9. What is the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence? The devoted author spent forty years writing novels and short stories. a. skilled c. thriving b. practical d. dedicated 10. What is the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence? After the rain ceased, we went back outside. a. struck c. quieted b. ended d. increased Main/Central Idea Note: When you identify the main idea in a passage, you may also be recognizing the topic, subject, theme, central thought or message, lesson or moral, thesis statement, and/or author s purpose in a passage. Read the following paragraph and decide which statement below identifies the main idea. The Importance of a Study Schedule Making a study schedule is one important step in becoming a successful student in college. Students should schedule one hour of study time for every one hour of class time. At exam time, more study time may be necessary. Also, students must study in an appropriate place. It is important to study in a quiet place away from the distraction of other people and such things as the television and the radio. Students should find a comfortable place with plenty of space for all the necessary study supplies. Then, students need to study the information in small amounts. It is a good idea to learn the required concepts slowly and thoroughly instead of trying to learn everything on the evening before the exam. Students who want to be successful in college should remember these three helpful study strategies.

14 1. The main idea of the paragraph The Importance of a Study Schedule is that A. college students should go to the library to study. B. in order to be successful in college, students should follow helpful study strategies. C. if you study where it is too noisy, you may not be able to retain all of the information you are trying to learn. D. studying information in small increments is an effective way of remembering the information. Read the following paragraph and decide which statement below identifies the main idea. A Useful Tool Every game from the latest multimedia games to old favorites like cards and chess can be played on home computers. Home computers are used to balance family finances, to complete banking transactions, and even to do the grocery shopping. Those computers which are equipped with a modem allow users to go "online" to "chat" with others that is, people can have a conversation on the computer about anything from being in love to getting medical advice. And, of course, students use home computers to type up school reports, to research their papers for classes, and even to do the calculations for math homework. 2. The main idea of the paragraph A Useful Tool is that A. there are lots of games on computers. B. computers can be used to communicate with others. C. computers have many uses today. D. elementary and high school students use computers just as much as adults do. Read the following paragraph and decide which statement below identifies the lesson taught in the story. Domingo Gonzalez s Search A man by the name of Domingo Gonzalez searched for a legendary hidden treasure. He became obsessed with his search and spent his life s saving in pursuit of the treasure. His obsession drove away his wife, who divorced him after seeing that he no longer loved her and that he cared only for finding the lost riches. His children grew to resent him for his absence and for the way he treated their mother. In the end, Domingo Gonzales lost everything, even his own life, searching for what he never found. 3. What lesson is taught by this story? A. Greed can ruin your life and even be dangerous and deadly. B. Searching for treasure is a good pursuit only if you find the treasure. C. Gonzalez lost everything while searching for something that did not exist. D. Every cloud has a silver lining. Read the following poem and decide which statement below identifies the theme of the poem. Success by Edgar A. Guest I hold no dream of fortune vast, Nor seek undying fame. I do not ask when life is past That many know my name. I may not own the skill to rise To glory s topmost height, Nor win a place among the wise, But I can keep the right.

15 And I can live my life on earth Contented to the end, If but a few shall know my worth And proudly call me friend. 4. Which statement best summarizes the theme of this poem? A. I hold no dream of fortune vast nor seek undying fame. B. I can be contented if I have a friend. C. Success is not fortune, fame, or wisdom but living in such a way that even a few can be proud to be my friend. D. Success means that I live my life contentedly to the end and be proud enough to hold my head up with anybody. Read the following paragraph and decide which statement below identifies the moral of the story. The Black Cat In The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator is happily married with a favorite pet cat. The narrator s temperament changes drastically for the worse because of his drinking problem. One night in a rage, he cuts out one of the cat s eyes. Later he hangs the cat. Then, another cat with one eye appears, and his wife loves it. His dislike for the new cat turns to loathing. When his wife tries to save the cat from a blow of his ax, he kills his wife instead. He puts her body behind a wall in the basement. Days later when the police come to investigate her disappearance, they are satisfied after looking around. When he shows off by knocking on the wall, a noise begins and sounds like the crying of a baby and then screaming. The police tear down the wall to find his wife s body and the second cat, which had been trapped behind the wall. 5. Which of the following statements best provides the moral of the story? A. Cats have nine lives and are not easily killed. B. When a person commits a crime, he should be careful to hide the evidence. C. Cruel acts can backfire and lead to justice. D. The narrator killed his wife and walled her body in the basement. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Bug Phobia I was never fond of bugs, but my fear of them grew as I got older. I remember when I was younger, and we had a problem with big black roaches. My worst experience then was putting my bedroom shoes on with a roach in one. Then we had standing water under the house and had what we called jumping spiders, or camel crickets. Once I was caught in the bathroom with one. It could jump all the way across the bathroom in one hop. Even though I knew that neither the roaches nor the crickets would bite me, I could not stand the thought of one touching me. I think I know when my fear peaked into a phobia. One summer evening when the four couples in our apartment house were together to play cards, one of the men quickly grabbed something and threw it. I felt something land on my chest. When I looked down at one of the ugliest bugs I had ever seen, I jumped up and screamed. I can t describe the horror I felt. Then one summer later, I taught summer school to a big class of almost all young men who had failed tenth grade English. Maybe someone was not happy with me and wanted to get even. When we started class one day, there were camel crickets all over the floor. They were hopping everywhere, and many of the students themselves were flinching. There were at least a dozen of the bugs. I was determined not to let the students see that the ugly crickets bothered me, so I taught as if nothing were different. Finally, the fours hours were over, and we all left. What I didn t realize until later was that my phobia was gone. I still didn t like the bugs, but I didn t have the unreasoning fear that is a phobia. People who help others overcome phobias do it by exposing them to the fear, so whoever brought those crickets did me a huge favor. He ll never know how he helped me. 6. What is the main idea of the second paragraph? A. My fear peaked into a phobia when a man threw a bug on me. B. I felt something land on my chest. C. I jumped up and screamed when I saw the bug on my chest.

16 D. I can t describe the horror I felt. 7. What lesson did the author learn from her experience with the camel crickets? A. Her fear grew as she got older. B. Students can be very mean. C. She didn t like the thought of bugs touching her. D. She could lose her phobia of bugs. 8. What could be the thesis statement for this essay? A. My fear of bugs grew because of my childhood experiences with roaches and spiders. B. My fear of bugs was unreal, so it was easy to get rid of it. C. My fear of bugs was not important. D. My fear of bugs grew into a phobia that a student unwittingly eliminated. Read the following poem and decide which statement below identifies the moral. 9. What moral is presented in this poem? Sacrifice by Edgar A. Guest When he has more than he can eat To feed a stranger s not a feat. When he has more than he can spend It isn t hard to give or lend. Who gives but what he ll never miss Will never know what giving is. He ll win few praises from his Lord Who does but what he can afford. The widow s mite to heaven went Because real sacrifice it meant. A. It is easy to feed a stranger when you have plenty to eat. B. Giving through sacrifice is more meaningful than giving from abundance. C. Only the widow was praised by all her friends. D. Spending on others is a good thing. Read the following paragraph and decide which statement below identifies the main idea. Valentine s Day Although many people celebrate Valentine s Day on February 14 every year, the origin of the holiday is still up for debate. No one really knows the reason for celebrating it. Legend links it to ancient Rome and to Saint Valentine, the man for whom the day is named and who has been proclaimed a patron saint, a priest, and a martyr. Despite its origin, Valentine s Day has been celebrated in America since the 1800s, and the tradition will most likely continue due to commercialization. Candy, flowers, lingerie, cards, stuffed animals, and jewelry are the order of the day on February 14, and people of all ages participate in the tradition. Some schools promote the holiday by allowing students to give and receive cards, flowers, and other Valentine gifts. Whatever its origin, Valentine s Day is based on good will, and that is still its main representation today. 10. Which statement best expresses the main idea of this paragraph?

17 A. Despite its mysterious origins, Valentine s Day is based on a tradition of good will. B. Legend links Valentine s Day to ancient Rome. C. The tradition of Valentine s Day will most likely continue due to commercialization. D. Schools promote the holiday by allowing students to give and receive Valentine gifts. DIRECTIONS: Read the passage and answer the questions. Today I m going to finally get a look at the mysterious Boo Radley. After grabbing the essentials, I am waiting for the sun to fall over the horizon and the fireflies to appear. Once night settles, I hunt and capture an abundant supply of them and am now making my way to the most dismal place on the face of the Earth, the place Boo Radley calls his home. I slowly and quietly make my way past the gate and into the yard of death. I can smell the faint aroma of blood with every single step. I think to myself how audacious an act like this is. None of the guys will ever believe I had the nerve. As I draw nearer to the steps ascending to the back door, my senses become acute, and I feel as lucid as I have ever felt in my life. Suddenly, I hear the stairs screech piercingly in a high pitched tone. 1. Based on the passage, what do you think is likely to happen next? A. He turns and runs away. C. He takes a nap on the porch. B. He peeks in the window. D. He whistles a happy tune. 2. What is the meaning of audacious in the passage? A. timid B. bold C. bright D. lazy 3. Choose the mood that most closely describes the feeling you get from this passage. A. peaceful B. lonely C. angry D. suspenseful 4. What is the meaning of acute in this passage? A. beautiful B. dull C. sharp D. talented 5. The speaker in this passage can be characterized as. A. adventurous. B. dull. C. timid. D. athletic. DIRECTIONS: Read the passage and answer the questions. The rain did not let up for three days and nights. The inches piled up, and as they did, the flooding got worse and worse, as the river crested over flood stage during the second night. The townsfolk down river had not prepared for the flood, so when the power went out and their buildings were inundated with water, they were left without water or shelter. Because there had been floods before, nobody could believe that these people had not taken more precautions. 6. What can we infer from this passage? A. There will be a tornado coming to this town. B. People like to plant gardens in the rain. C. It rains every day in the month of May. D. The townspeople were not prepared and should have been. 7. After reading this passage, we can predict that the townspeople will

18 A. build a new football stadium. B. build a new water treatment plant. C. begin to take measures to prepare for future floods. D. not have to worry about floods. 8. Why is the setting important to this story? A. The football game is played on the football field. B. The power outages caused the flooding. C. The town is located next to a river that floods. D. The gardens must have rain. 9. The people in this passage can be characterized as A. happy B. careless C. careful D. shy 10. What is the best title for this passage? A. The River B. Unprepared C. Power Plant D. Shelter Author s Purpose 1. Persuade to convince you to buy something or join their cause. Most of the time it is about money or your time. Examples: commercials, ads 2. Inform to give you facts about something. The way something works, how to do something or put something together. Examples: instruction, schedules, medication information, documentaries. 3. Entertain purpose is to provide entertainment. Examples: movies, fictional books or articles. Read the stories below and try to identify the author's purpose. Most people that have pets, have a cat or a dog. People disagree all the time as to which pet is best. Cats make the best pet! There are many reasons why cats are the best pet. Cats are very independent. If you go on vacation, you can leave extra food and water and have a friend occasionally check on the cat. On the other hand, dogs need to be kenneled, which costs a lot of money. Watching a cat play with a string or ball is very entertaining. You can sit back and enjoy the cat. However, a dog needs a person to play with and usually won't play alone. On a cold winter's night, there is nothing better than to have your cat snuggled up on your lap purring contentedly. If you are trying to choose between a dog or a cat for a pet, cats make the best pet! Author s Purpose: Once there were three little pigs, I know you've heard this story before. They set off into the world to be independent and wanted to build a house for themselves. As you know, the first pig built his home out of straw, which was blown down and he was eaten by the big bad wolf. The second pig didn't learn from his brother, and built his home out of twigs, which was blown down and he too was eaten by that bad wolf. The third little pig was smart and decided that she would take her time and build a strong house out of brick. As the story goes, that pig outsmarted the wolf and had a delicious wolf stew for dinner. It took a female to prevail! Author s Purpose:

19 The earth is a sphere made up of one-fourth land and three-fourths water. The largest bodies of water are the four oceans: Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean. The land is divided into seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica. Author s Purpose: Point of View First-person point of view is in use when a character narrates the story with I-me-my-mine in his or her speech. The advantage of this point of view is that you get to hear the thoughts of the narrator and see the world depicted in the story through his or her eyes. Second-person point of view, in which the author uses you and your, is rare. Third-person point of view is that of an outsider looking at the action. The writer may choose third-person omniscient, in which the thoughts of every character are open to the reader, or third-person limited, in which the reader enters only one character's mind, either throughout the entire work or in a specific section. Third-person limited differs from first-person because the author's voice, not the character's voice, is what you hear in the descriptive passages. Directions: Read the following passages and determine the narrative perspective, then explain how you were able to identify the point of view- if the passage is third person, explain which character s thoughts are revealed. Point of view: first-person, second-person, third-person limited, third-person omniscient. 1. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar Leslie sat in front of Paul. She had two long, brown pigtails that reached all the way down to her waist. Paul saw those pigtails, and a terrible urge came over him. He wanted to pull a pigtail. He wanted to wrap his fist around it, feel the hair between his fingers, and just yank. He thought it would be fun to tie the pigtails together, or better yet, tie them to her chair. But most of all, he just wanted to pull one. Point of View: If it is third-person, which character s thoughts are revealed? 2. Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes And we scrounged. Next to survival, scrounge was probably the most important word in our new vocabulary. We found a store that was throwing out water-damaged mattresses. Getting them home was a problem, since we had to make two trips, leaving Brad and Katie, armed with sticks to guard over the remained. I truly expected them to be challenged by some gang boss, but they said that the only person who came by was a scrawny little rat of a girl living alone. We let her have one of the mattresses. Point of View:

20 If it is third-person, which character s thoughts are revealed? 3. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt At dawn, Mae Tuck set out on her horse for the wood at the edge of the village of Treegap. She was going there, as she did once every ten years, to meet her two sons, Miles and Jesse, and she was feeling at ease. At noon time, Winnie Foster, whose family owned the Treegap wood, lost her patience at last and decided to think about running away. Point of View: If it is third-person, which character s thoughts are revealed? 4. The Baffled Parent's Guide to Great Basketball Drills by Jim Garland Before each practice begins, make sure you check the court and remove any debris from the playing surface. When your players arrive, check that they have the proper footwear and that they ve removed any jewelry, which could injure the player wearing the jewelry or another player. Always carry a list of emergency phone numbers for your players, and know where the nearest phone is located. You should also have a first-aid kit, and you might want to take a first-aid course. Point of View: If it is third-person, which character s thoughts are revealed? 5. The Ninja Housewife by Deborah Hamlin After dropping her son off at school, Sara sat at a traffic light and waited. She was on her way to her office job as a secretary in a law office. It was mainly paperwork with very little time to interact with other people, but Sara had gotten used to that. It also gave her plenty of time to daydream, something she had also gotten quite used to. She was a woman in her mid-30s, married 13 years, with one child. Point of View: If it is third-person, which character s thoughts are revealed? 6. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery Marilla's lips twitched understandingly. She had expected Mrs. Rachel to say this; she had known that the sight of Matthew jaunting off so unaccountably would be too much for her neighbor's curiosity. If Marilla had said that Matthew had gone to Bright River to meet a kangaroo from Australia Mrs. Rachel could not have been more astonished. She was actually quiet for five seconds. It was unsupposable that Marilla was making fun of her, but Mrs. Rachel was almost forced to suppose it.

21 Point of View: If it is third-person, which character's thoughts are revealed? 7. Alice's adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, and what is the use of a book, thought Alice, without pictures or conversations? So she was considering, in her own mind whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. Point of View: If it is third-person, which character s thoughts are revealed? 8. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor The day Shiloh come, we're having us a big Sunday dinner. Dara Lynn's dipping bread in her glass of cold tea, the way she likes, and Becky pushes her beans over the edge of her plate in her rush to get 'em down. Ma gives us her scolding look. We live high up in the hills above Friendly, but hardly anybody knows where that is. Friendly's near Sistersville, which is halfway between Wheeling and Parkersburg. Used to be, my daddy told me, Sistersville was once of the best places you could live in the whole state. Point of View: If it is third-person, which character's thoughts are revealed? 9. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor The day Shiloh come, we're having us a big Sunday dinner. Dara Lynn's dipping bread in her glass of cold tea, the way she likes, and Becky pushes her beans over the edge of her plate in her rush to get 'em down. Ma gives us her scolding look. We live high up in the hills above Friendly, but hardly anybody knows where that is. Friendly's near Sistersville, which is halfway between Wheeling and Parkersburg. Used to be, my daddy told me, Sistersville was once of the best places you could live in the whole state. Point of View: If it is third-person, which character's thoughts are revealed? 10. Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers, Mary Shepard

22 They found themselves in bed and watching, by the dim light from the night-light, the rest of Mary Poppin's unpacking being performed. From the carpet bag she took out seven flannel nightgowns, four cotton ones, a pair of boots, a set of dominoes, two bathing-caps and a postcard album. Jane and Michael sat hugging themselves and watching. It was all so surprising that they could find nothing to say. But they knew, both of them that something strange and wonderful had happened at Number Seventeen, Cherry- Tree Lane. Point of View: If it is third-person, which character's thoughts are revealed? Characterization Characters people, animals or things in a story that do the action. Setting place and time of the story Plot the events of the story