Theme & Summary
This term refers to the universal life lesson, moral, or message that an author wants the reader to take away from a fictional story.
What is theme?
This specific text structure explains how or why something happened, focusing on the triggers and the resulting outcomes.
What is Cause and Effect?
To find explicit evidence in a text to support your answer, you are looking for information that is stated in this way.
What is directly (or word-for-word)?
Which part of plot introduces the characters and setting?
A. climax B. exposition C. resolution D. falling action
What is B. exposition
This point of view features a narrator who is not in the story but knows the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of every character in the text.
What is third-person omniscient?
When writing an objective summary of a text, you must include the central idea and key supporting details, but you must strictly leave this out.
What are personal opinions, feelings, or judgments?
What text structure is used?
Passage: First, Mia gathered her supplies. Next, she mixed the ingredients. Finally, she baked the cookies.
A. Cause and Effect
B. Compare and Contrast
C. Chronological Order
D. Problem and Solution
What is C. Chronological Order
Identify the meaning of the bolded word: The toddler was completely intractable during the long flight; no matter what snacks his parents offered, he refused to sit down or stop crying.
What is stubborn (or unmanageable)?
Contrast the definitions of mood and tone.
What is tone is the author's attitude; mood is the reader's feeling?
What is the author trying to persuade readers to do?
Passage: Students should wear uniforms because uniforms reduce distractions and improve focus.
A. buy new clothes B. support school uniforms C. stop attending school D. wear hats
What is B. support school uniforms
Read this scenario: A character spends months training for a marathon but breaks his ankle the day before the race. Instead of giving up, he spends the next year successfully coaching a youth running team. What is the theme?
What is resilience (or overcoming adversity to help others)?
Use context clues to determine the meaning of the word.
Sentence: The exhausted runner slowly walked off the track after the race.
What does exhausted mean?
A. energetic B. tired C. confused D. nervous
What is B. tired
Read the text: Elena looked at the envelope on the counter. She picked it up, held it to the light, and then quickly shoved it to the bottom of her backpack, breathing heavily. Infer Elena's feelings.
What is she is anxious, scared, or nervous about it?
Read the sentence.
Marcus stared at the clock every few seconds and tapped his foot loudly.
What can the reader infer?
A. Marcus is calm. B. Marcus is nervous or impatient. C. Marcus is asleep. D. Marcus is confused.
What is B. Marcus is nervous or impatient.
What is the author’s point of view?
Passage: In my opinion, year-round school gives students more breaks and helps prevent learning loss.
A. Year-round school is beneficial. B. School should be canceled. C. Students dislike breaks. D. Learning loss is impossible.
What is A. Year-round school is beneficial.
Which sentence BEST summarizes this passage?
Passage: Jordan forgot to study for his science quiz. After earning a low grade, he created a study schedule and improved his next test score.
A. Jordan likes science.
B. Jordan forgot one quiz.
C. Jordan improved by becoming more organized.
D. Jordan had homework.
What is C. Jordan improved by becoming more organized.
A text contains one paragraph on an invasive beetle's biology and three paragraphs on how it destroys local timber economies. What is the overall central idea?
What is the beetle's biology makes it a threat to timber economies?
Which line from the poem contains imagery?
A. “The dark clouds covered the glowing moon.”
B. “Poems can rhyme.”
C. “Birds are animals.”
D. “The book was long.”
What is A. “The dark clouds covered the glowing moon.”
A poem shifts its setting from a sunlit, bustling city square in Stanza 1 to a silent, fog-covered alleyway in Stanza 2. How does the mood shift?
What is from cheerful/energetic to tense/mysterious?
Which sentence contains the author’s argument?
A. The cafeteria serves pizza every Friday.
B. Recess is fun.
C. Schools should provide healthier lunches to students.
D. Students eat lunch daily.
What is C. Schools should provide healthier lunches to students.
Which sentence BEST summarizes the paragraph?
Passage: The class planted a garden behind the school. Students watered the plants every day and removed weeds each week. By spring, vegetables and flowers had grown.
A. The students enjoyed being outside.
B. The class successfully grew a garden through teamwork.
C. Weeds grew in the garden.
D. Flowers are colorful.
What is B. The class successfully grew a garden through teamwork.
If an author changes an article about plastic pollution from a Problem/Solution structure to a Compare/Contrast structure, how does the tone change?
What is it shifts from an urgent call-to-action to a neutral analysis?
What type of figurative language is used?
“I’ve told you a million times to clean your room!”
A. metaphor B. hyperbole C. simile D. idiom
What is B. hyperbole
What tone does the author create?
The author describes the puppy as “adorable,” “playful,” and “loving.”
A. angry B. serious C. admiring D. fearful
What is C. admiring
Which detail BEST supports the author’s argument?
Argument: Students should have more independent reading time during school.
A. Books come in many colors.
B. Reading improves vocabulary and comprehension skills.
C. Libraries have shelves.
D. Students sometimes read at home.
What is B. Reading improves vocabulary and comprehension skills.