Figurative Language
Read the following sentence.
There are two other reasons my mother has not tied me to my bed and refused to let me go.
The author uses figurative language in this sentence in order to –
A emphasize how unfair the mother tends to be
B show how much the mother will miss her daughter
C establish how important safety is to the mother
D exaggerate how protective the mother is of her daughter
D exaggerate how protective the mother is of her daughter
At the opening ceremonies of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, teams of elite athletes from around the world enter the stadium under the flag of their home nation. They represent their country’s finest examples of physical prowess, endurance, and discipline.
Which words help the reader understand the meaning of the word elite?
country’s finest examples, physical prowess, endurance, discipline
In the 1930s a Danish carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen started making wooden toys. He called his company LEGO, a blend of the Danish words leg godt, meaning “play well.” After making wooden toys for years, Christiansen wanted to accelerate production so that he could make more toys in less time. He invested in a machine that would allow him to make plastic toys. In 1958 he produced the first plastic LEGO brick.
What is the above paragraph mainly about?
Christiansen changed LEGO toys from wood to plastic.
We needed to come to this faraway place because Antarctica is the best place to find meteorites. When space rocks fall on Antarctic ice fields, snow covers them. As the ice fields creep toward the ocean, some of them run into hills and mountains. There the ice stops, and the wind blows away the top layers of snow. The buried meteorites then come to the surface, where they can be found.
Antarctica is a good place to search for meteorites because —
natural events in Antarctica make it possible for meteorites to be noticed easily; meteorites are easily found/discovered there
“I think first grade has changed a lot from when we were first graders,” I told Maneya. “I don’t remember learning about trapezoids and hexagons back then. Do you? I’m trying my best to help teach this stuff, but the kids look at me like I’ve just arrived from another planet.”
Chloe is feeling –
frustrated; defeated; irritated; confused
When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse is judged on appearance, we were quickly “shown the gate.” No amount of grooming, vitamins or unconditional love would turn Cowboy into a beauty.
The author uses the phrase “shown the gate” to illustrate that the narrator was —
eliminated from competition, rejected from events
Jim was late for basketball practice. As soon as he was dropped off, he briskly walked into the gym to join his team.
What is the meaning of briskly?
active, quick, energetic
Meteorites are important to NASA because they can tell us more about what is in space. Some were blasted off the surface of Mars long ago by asteroids. They have given us clues about the red planet. Even older meteorites hold clues about the birth of the solar system.
What is the most likely reason the author wrote this paragraph?
to explain why scientists are interested in studying meteorites; to explain the importance of why NASA studies meteorites,
My turn finally came. As I nudged Cowboy forward he stumbled, and almost fell, much to the delight of the other riders. I jammed my hat down on my head, stroked Cowboy’s big red neck, and entered the arena. At the signal, we dashed toward the first barrel, quickly whipped around it and with perfect precision rounded the second and thundered on to the third. We tore around the final curve and shot for the finish line. No cheers filled the air. The end of our run was met with surprised silence.
When Cowboy and the narrator won the race, people were —
stunned, surprised, shocked
Maneya smiled at me, and secretly I (Chloe) think she was thanking her lucky stars that she was working with fourth graders. Her students listened intently to tales about middle school, an exciting world they were looking forward to. They even completed their multiplication drills without complaining, unlike the students I dealt with every day. It sounded like a great classroom to spend time in compared to mine.
From Chloe’s description of the fourth-grade students, the reader can tell that Chloe –
Chloe is jealous of Maneya’s mentoring assignment; envied Maneya's classroom,; thought highly of Maneya's students
Harold is a man of three sides, like me, and he knows what I am thinking without my having to say it. He is a sweet man with a honey tongue and he is a teller of tales.
What does the italicized description of Harold mean?
Harold is not trustworthy, he makes up stories, you can't believe him.
When my sister and I were parading along the back wall of the college compound where we lived, we met a group of girls along the same wall, but going in the opposite direction.
compound \ı käm- • ı paund\ n 1. a word formed by joining other words 2. a grouping of buildings contained inside a bordering structure 3. an object created by combining parts 4. a substance formed by mixing different chemicals
What is the correct definition of compound?
definition 2 - a grouping of buildings contained inside a bordering structure
However, life on the westward trail was not all hard physical labor. When the day’s chores were done, mothers would sometimes teach school subjects to their children. William M. Colvig’s mother expected him to study as well as work. "During the six months or more we were on the plains, Mother had me recite to her, so that by the end of the trip I was reading in the Second Reader.” After doing chores and studying, pioneer children enjoyed playing games, including tag, hopscotch, and hide-and-seek. Since most children had to leave toys behind, they had to be resourceful in creating their new playthings. They made dolls from cornhusks, and checkers from slices of corncobs; they carved tops for spinning from wood and made marbles from hardened clay
What is the purpose of this paragraph?
To show daily life for children going west. Things that children did on the westward trail. Daily life for kids was more than just physical labor.
The stinging memory of Becky’s smirks made me determined to beat her.
From this sentence, the reader can conclude that the narrator felt –
Becky's actions angered the narrator, the narrator wanted to beat Becky, the narrator was irritated/mad with Becky
“You’re so lucky, Chloe,” my best friend Maneya had told me. “I have to work with fourth graders. Ugh!” “I know! It’s going to be great. It’ll be like having a couple of hours off from school each week!” I gloated.
What does Chloe’s conversation with Maneya reveal about Chloe?
She believes that she will not have to work hard in the first-grade classroom; She is over-confident; She is annoying
And do not forget the gardens! I am convinced that nowhere else on Earth are there such glorious riots of color and fragrance.
The language used above helps the reader understand –
the beauty of the gardens are unrivaled; the garden is very pretty, no garden is as good in comparison
During that journey they risk getting run over by cars, suffering dehydration, or being attacked by other animals. But they will navigate over or around anything in their path.
Read the origin of the word navigate
from Latin navis (ship) + agere (drive)
This information helps the reader understand that navigate means?
finding a way to a destination
The good news about stage fright is that there are ways to cope with it. Practicing your performance and following some simple tips can help calm nerves and manage the feelings caused by anxiety. First, dress comfortably and appropriately. Second, before the performance, take deep breaths and stretch to help relax your body. Third, stay away from beverages that contain caffeine. These might make your heart race even faster. Instead, try a banana! Some doctors believe that eating a banana can help calm your heart and the rest of your body. Finally, when you look into a crowd, try to focus on particular people instead of the whole group. These tips have helped many famous people learn to deal with their fears.
What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
Stage fright can be overcome by using several strategies; ways to get over stage fright.
The rediscovery of the yellow-spotted bell frog, though, does not mean that it is out of danger. On its own, a colony of 100 frogs has little chance of long-term survival. One worry that remains is the fungus. Possibly, as Hunter hopes, this colony survived because it is resistant to the fungus. Another explanation is that somehow its location provided protection from the fungus.
The author included the italicized sentence most likely to show —
why scientists are taking several different steps to protect the remaining yellow-spotted bell frogs; to show the dangers
Captain Nealson raised an eyebrow as he recorded Team Brody’s time on his clipboard. Brody grinned because he knew that the team—which he had actually led—had successfully completed its task. But there was no time for congratulating himself; he had firefighter gear to put on.
The italicized sentence shows that Brody is –
proud of his performance;
He sprouted with branches and leaves, and he bloomed! Bartholomew Blue is a tree to this day . . . But at least now he gives off a fragrant bouquet.
What is suggested in the above lines?
Bartholomew has finally become useful as a tree; he now has a purpose; he grew up to have meaning;
In the meantime, other measures have been taken to protect the yellow-spotted bell frog. Among them was a long delay in announcing the frog’s rediscovery.
What is the meaning of measures as used above?
an action intended to achieve a result
It wouldn’t have been surprising if the owners of the missing objects had used this event as an opportunity to complain. But most everyone was good-natured about the “thefts.” Kelly McLellan, who lives nearby, said, “He stole my bikini. He did it in two trips. He was very focused on keeping the ensemble. When it went missing I wasn’t worried, though. I knew where to go.” The Somers family lost lots of shorts and towels, several sponges, and six bathing suits that Dusty took from a clothesline. “We don’t leave anything out anymore,” said Stephanie Somers. “But we don’t mind. We like Dusty.”
Explain that the people aren’t bothered when Dusty takes their personal items; explain how Dusty has been taking items, but the people don't mind
MIKE: [Nods eagerly.] My dad was taking me to Ranger Scouts last night, and the traffic was bad.
[Carl rolls his eyes and gives him an unimpressed look.]
What can the reader infer about Carl?
Carl is irritated and annoyed. Carl doesn't believe Mike.
“No one can afford to throw away a penny,” she would say. “Or if they can afford it, they should donate their pennies to charity.” I began to look around the sidewalk. Under the bench, there were two more pennies. I added them to the collection in my pocket. My career as a penny-pincher had begun.
The narrator's actions imply that he will be – (describe the narrator)
start saving pennies; observe his surroundings more carefully; more observant;