Common Test Questions & Vocab
"Which of the following details least supports the central idea of the passage?" In this question I have to find the answer choice that does NOT really ______________the central idea.
support
What is the first thing you should do before you annotate the text?
Identify the genre
What should you do if you are not sure what answer choice is the correct one? a) Don't bubble in any answer and leave it blank b) Spend 15 minutes trying to decide on an answer c) Eliminate the obvious wrong answer choices and then make an educated guess
C
How can you get full credit (2 out of 2) on your short answer questions? In other words, what should you do when you are answering the short answer questions?
1. use SEEEEC topic statement evidence elaboration evidence2 elaboration 2 and concluding sentence.
"How does paragraph 4 CONTRIBUTE to the development of ideas in the text?" In this question, I am being asked how paragraph 4 _____________ the development of ideas in the passage.
adds to, builds on
"What do the character’s actions in paragraph 3 REVEAL about him?" The word reveal means ______________.
shows, uncovers, unveils
what are the thinking jobs for a fiction text
CMPSLL
Why should you underline or circle key words in the questions?
To help you understand EXACTLY what each question is asking you and help you know what to focus on when you read the passage. The questions are often tricky and if you don't read them carefully and focus on the key words you might make a careless mistake when answering the question!
True or False: You should always reread what you wrote before moving on to the next question. Why or why not?
TRUE! You should always reread what you wrote as your answer to make sure that... 1. You didn't make any careless mistakes in spelling, punctuation or grammar that would make it difficult for someone to understand. 2. you provided evidence and elaborated on your evidence. 3. You actually answered the EXACT question you are being asked to answer
what is Central Idea
the most important idea that the author wants to share with their readers
“What can you INFER about the main character based on the information in paragraph 3?" The word infer means _________________________
to make an education guess or conclusion based on evidence, prior knowledge (background knowledge), and logical reasoning.
what are the thinking jobs for a non fiction text?
MT POV
True or False: You should read all the answer choices, even if the first or second answer sounds correct to you.
TRUE! Almost every question will have 2 answer choices that are somewhat easy to eliminate and then 1 answer choice that is there to trick you! So you should read and reread each answer choice carefully and check back to the text to make sure you are choosing the correct answer and not the trick answer!
What are should be in the introduction paragraph of your essay
H hook I information about the text T thesis answer to the question.
what is mood?
the feeling or atmospher created by the author
"Which sentence from the article best reveals the author's POINT OF VIEW?" The authors "point of view" means the author's __________
perspective, viewpoint, opinion
how do you know the text is non fiction
real events, dates, often accompanied by text features like tables of contents, indexes, and charts, sub headings
Your teachers always tell you to "go back and check your work" when you are done. How should you "check your work" on the state test?
Reread each question carefully and the answer you chose, and check the text again to make sure you still think that is the right answer. Also, make sure you have answered in ALL the questions on your computer.
How do you determine the amount of paragraphs your essay will have?
pay attention to the bullet points in the question.
what are the different text structures of non fiction texts
chronological cause and effect compare and contrast description sequence
what does the word "way off" mean. if you get a question like this what is the step you are taking to find the correct answer
go back to the, read the sentence around the word go back to the answer choices eliminate the way off then see which answer is the closest in meaning.
what annotation should you write at the end of every passage
central Idea
i am stuck between two choices what is the best way i can decide which answer choice to choose
go back to the text. choose the answer that has the most proof
what is the theme of the passage and how does the author develop the theme. Provide two details to support your answer. In your response be sure to
*State the theme
*show how the author develops the theme
*provide 2 pieces of evidence
How would this essay be structured?
introduction
body paragraph 1
body paragraph 2
conclusion