FAST Testing 101
Test Taking Strategies
Prose and Poetry
Informational Text
Reading Across Genres and Vocab
100
Name at least 2 important things you should do the night before and/or the morning of the test?
What is
Go to bed early
Eat a healthy breakfast
(Also accept: Have a positive attitude, go out and play the day before--don't study and stress--get rid of extra energy!!)
100
When you read a question for the first time, you should....
What is
Read it SLOWLY
Read it at least twice
Highlight key words in the question.
100
v
Which of the following best describes a theme?
(A) A one-or-two word topic (love) OR
(B) A complete thought that communicates an
Author's message (Love can change a person
for better or worse.
Theme is a complete thought that communicates the author's message.
Answer: (B)
A complete thought that communicates an author's message
(Love can change a person for better orworse)
100
What is the central idea of a text and how do you identify it?
The central idea is the most important point the author is trying to make in the WHOLE text. It is a big idea not details.
Take notes as you read and write a short "gist" about what the text is about. What most of the paragraphs discuss will lead you to central idea
100
A sequence of events that take place in a literary text (story) is the _______.
What is
Plot
200
What is the name of the electronic tool on FAST that helps you focus on one line at a time and why should you use it?
What is
The linereader
It helps you stay focused
200
After you have read the question carefully, you should NOT...
What is
look at the answer choices BEFORE going back and checking in the text
Know the answer in your head first, before looking at choices.
200
Which of the following uses repetition?
#2
Of the bells---
Of the bells, bells, bells,
In the clamor and clangor of the bells!
200
How does the author use pathos in the following text?
"Every day, thousands of children go to bed hungry. Maria, a 9-year-old from Detroit, often skips meals so her younger siblings can eat. She dreams of having a full lunch box like her classmates. Your donation can change a child's life and give them hope for a better future."
Using emotional appeals make you feel something—sadness, compassion, or hope—here we feel sad and troubled by Maria's situation. The author hopes that those feelings will cause us to make a donation.
200
The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I knew only from stories. The one just outside of town with big blue letters: Manifest:A town with a rich past and a bright future.
What does the simile tell you?
It suggests that the train ride is making the character sleepy.
It suggests the train ride is thrilling for the character.
What is
#1
It suggests that the train is making the character sleepy
300
What is the name of the tool that you use that will help you quickly find important information and keywords in the text?
What is
Highlighting tool
300
One strategy that is your ticket to success on FAST is to....
What is
Before reviewing answer choices, GO BACK and review the paragraph and know the answer in your head first before looking at the choices.
The prevents you from getting "tricked" into selecting the wrong answer
300
Define
ethos, pathos, and logos
What is
Ethos: Credibility or trust (you can trust me)
Pathos: Connects with your feelings or emotions
Logos: Convinces you through logic or facts
300
How does the author use Ethos in the following sentence?
"According to Dr. James Mitchell, a cardiovascular surgeon with 20 years of experience at Johns Hopkins Hospital, regular exercise strengthens your heart and reduces the risk of heart disease by 35%."
Ethos: Uses someone that is trustworthy (an experienced surgeon) to support a claim. The author hopes that by taking an expert like Dr. Mitchell's advice we will be persuaded to exercise regulary to prevent heart disease.
300
The mood or feeling that comes across in a text is the author's _____________.
You can determine the tone by examining the ______ that the author uses.
Tone.
The words the author uses (adjectives and verbs)
400
This tool is used to jot down the gist of each paragraph or important information as you read.
The notepad
400
What strategy and tool do you use if you cannot identify the correct answer?
What is
Use the strikethrough tool to cross of answers that are definitely wrong
If you're stuck....
Always choose the answer that most closely matches the main point of the passage.
NEVER EVER just guess.
400
What do we call a narrator that we cannot trust? For example, he or she may be dishonest or mentally ill.
(Example: The Tell-tale heart)
An unreliable narrator
400
Is the following pathos, ethos, or logos? Explain why.
"Studies show that getting eight hours of sleep improves memory by 20%"
What is
Logos tries to convince the reader by using factual scientific reasoning.
If this is true, then getting a good night's sleep before FAST will help me achieve a higher score!
400
This type of text structure tells the story in time order with a beginning, middle, and end.
Chronological order
500
Name 4 electronics that should be powered down and/or placed in backpacks. Finding these items on you will result in your test being invalidated.
What is
Cell phones
Smartwatches
Smart glasses
wireless headphones (earbuds)
500
FAST is an adaptive test. What does this mean?
What is
The computer grades the test as you go and assigns you levels based on how you are answering the questions. If you miss, it gives you a lower level, if you get correct, it gives you a higher level.
It grades your answers when you select the "Next" button
500
What is the difference between an author's point of view and an author's perspective?
Give 3 examples of points of view.
What is
A point of view is the position in which the story is told.
1st person: Narrator is a character and uses "I" or "me"
2nd person: You, your
3rd Person: He, she (outside narrator)
An author's perspective is how the author writes about the topic. Is he in favor of something? Against it? etc.
500
Read the following argument:
Mr. Smith argues that the city has a real problem with crime and should hire more police officers. The major of the city says that Mr. Smith doesn't know what he's talking about because he's only lived here for 6 months.
Which fallacy is this?
Ad Hominem
OR
Slipper Slope
Answer: Ad Hominem is a personal attack on someone. Just because Mr. Smith has only lived here 6 months doesn't mean that he doesn't have a valid claim about the crime in the city. This is a personal attack on the argument.
Slippery Slope: The author assumes that one small change will cause an extreme negative change and does not provide EVIDENCE!
500
In a Villanelle or Sonnet, the first part of the poem addresses a problem, the poems continues to discuss the problem as the poem progresses. What is the job of the rhyming couplet at the end?
The last two lines of a Villanelle or Sonnet is a rhyming couplet that offers a powerful final statement or resolution to the problem.