Common Test Questions & Vocab
Common Test Questions & Vocab
Reading the
Passages
Multiple Choice
Questions
Short Answer Questions & The Essay
100
What is the THEME of a story?
the message, moral or lesson
100
"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
100

What are at least 2 things you should do BEFORE reading each passage?

1. Read the directions 2. Read the questions you will have to answer. 3. Read the title of the article, story or poem 4. Read the subheadings 5. Look at any pictures and captions 5. Scan the text and identify the genre 

100

What is the first step in answering a multiple choice question? 

Read and annotate the question 


100

How can you get full credit on your short answer questions? In other words, what should you do when you are answering the short answer questions?

1. Restate the question & answer it

 2. Provide 2 pieces of evidence (quotes!)

 3. Explain your evidence.

200
"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
200
"What do the character’s actions in paragraph 3 REVEAL about him?" The word reveal means ______________.
shows, uncovers, unveils
200
True or False: you shouldn't chunk and code the passages as you read because it is distracting and wastes time.
FALSE! You SHOULD annotate the text because it helps you better understand what you are reading and will help you answer the questions. Also, the test is not timed, so you can take as long as you need to!
200
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!
200
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 made an inference in your answer and provided TWO pieces of evidence. 3. You actually answered the EXACT question you are being asked to answer
300
"Which of the sentences from the passage best supports the author’s central idea?" In this question the word best tells me that all the answer choices could be _____________, but I have to find the ______________ answer.
correct best
300
“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.
300

What are at least 3 things you can do to annotate the passages you are reading?

1. Underline or highlight important words and sentences. 2. Circle words you don't know and use context clues to try to figure out what the words mean. 3. Write a gist of the paragraphs 

300
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!
300

What acronym should you use to help you structure your essay? 

TOSEEC 

400

"How does the author’s ALLUSION to Pandora’s Box contribute to the meaning of paragraph 4?" The word allusion means _________________

Allusion means "reference". Eg: In a story one of the characters may ask his friend, "Why did you jump off the roof? Were you trying to be Superman?!" The character is making an ALLUSION or reference to another story/movie (Superman). You may also see a question that uses the word "alludes". ("Why does the author allude to Pandora’s Box in paragraph 4?"). This is the verb form of allusion.

400
"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
400

What are the thinking jobs for NF

Topic 

Supporting Details 


400
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 bubbled in ALL the questions on your scantron
400

How many paragraphs should your essay have?

Short response: 1 paragraph 

Extended response: 2-3 paragraphs 


500

What does “best supports your answer” mean in test questions?

Choose the strongest evidence that proves your answer is correct.

500

What another word for central idea, main idea

Mostly talking about 


500

What are the thinking jobs for Poetry 

Figurative 

Literal 


500

What are the two stamps for multiple choice questions 

NT: Not True 

NR: Not Relevant

500

How many essays are on the ELA state test this year 

Day 1: 2 written responses

Day 2: 4 written responses 

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