Author's Craft
“The wind howled through the empty streets, rattling the broken windows.”
The author uses these techniques to create a vivid image (choose 2 to get it correct):
A. Dialogue
B. Imagery
C. Flashback
D. Personification
What is B (Imagery) & D (Personification)?
This is the part of the plot that introduces the main characters and setting:
A. Climax
B. Resolution
C. Exposition
D. Falling action
What is C (exposition)?
The story takes place in a small village during winter.
These elements describe the setting:
A. Conflict and theme
B. Time and place
C. Plot and resolution
D. Character and tone
What is B (time and place)?
The difference between topic & theme is--
A. Topic is the message; theme is the subject
B. Topic is the subject; theme is the message
C. They are the same
D. Theme is shorter than topic
What is B (topic is the subject; theme is the message)?
Dialogue helps develop a character by--
A. showing personality and relationships
B. explaining the setting
C. introducing the theme
D. ending the story
What is A (showing personality and relationships)?
The effect of this figurative language-- “Her smile was sunshine on a cloudy day"-- is:
A. It shows the setting
B. It creates a comparison to show positivity
C. It explains a conflict
D. It introduces a character
What is B (It creates a comparison to show positivity)?
Maria finally confronts her fear of speaking in front of the class.
This part of the plot most likely represents--
A. Rising action
B. Climax
C. Exposition
D. Resolution
What is B (climax)?
The character struggles to survive in a harsh desert.
This setting affects the character by--
A. creating a challenge
B. explaining the theme
C. introducing dialogue
D. resolving conflict
What is A (creating a challenge)?
This is the difference between a "Main Idea" and a "Theme."
What is: Main Idea is what the story is mostly about (summary), while theme is the life lesson or moral (universal message)?
A character slams the door and refuses to speak.
This reveals--
A. The setting
B. The theme
C. The character’s emotions
D. The plot structure
What is C (the character's emotions)?
The author's description of the house as “decaying,” “silent,” and “forgotten” mainly creates:
A. A cheerful tone
B. A humorous effect
C. A mysterious mood
D. A fast pace
What is C (a mysterious mood)?
The most likely reason an author includes a scene from the character’s childhood.
A. To speed up the story
B. To introduce conflict
C. To provide background information
D. To end the story
What is C (to provide background information)?
If a story takes place in a "dark, decaying, isolated mansion during a thunderstorm," this is the likely mood created by the setting.
What is eerie, gloomy, or suspenseful?
Read the passage: Jalen had always wanted to make the basketball team, but after being cut the first time, he felt defeated. Instead of quitting, he woke up early each morning to practice. He asked his coach for feedback and spent hours improving his skills. The next year, when tryouts came around again, Jalen was nervous—but this time, he made the team.
The theme that is best developed in this passage is--
A. Winning is the most important goal
B. Natural talent matters more than effort
C. Hard work and perseverance can lead to success
D. Competition between others leads to improvement
What is C (hard work and perseverance can lead to success)?
The author’s characterization of Marcus in this passage suggests that he is —
A) Naturally talented at public speaking and leadership.
B) Motivated by a sense of responsibility to others.
C) Indifferent to the opinions of his classmates.
D) Overconfident in his ability to succeed without practice.
What is B (motivated by a sense of responsibility to others)?
Read this excerpt from a persuasive speech:"Is it not our duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves? Are we to sit idly by while the very foundations of our community are chipped away by indifference?"
The author uses rhetorical questions in this passage primarily to —
A) Gather information from the audience about their personal beliefs.
B) Admit that the speaker does not have a solution to the problem.
C) Encourage the audience to reflect on their moral responsibilities.
D) Highlight the speaker's own lack of confidence in the community.
What is C (encourage the audience to reflect on their moral responsibilities)?
Read this excerpt: "As Sarah looked at the dusty trophy on the shelf, the sounds of the cheering crowd from five years ago filled her ears again. She could almost feel the weight of the gold medal being placed around her neck and the smell of the gymnasium's floor wax. Then, her daughter’s voice snapped her back to the quiet living room."
The author uses a flashback in this passage primarily to —
A) Speed up the pacing of the story to get to the resolution faster.
B) Provide background information that explains the character's current emotional state.
C) Foreshadow that Sarah will win another trophy in the future.
D) Create a sense of suspense about whether Sarah's daughter is in danger.
What is B (provide background information that explains the character's current emotional state)?
In "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe, the setting of this creates a dark and creepy mood--
What are the catacombs?
Read the passage: Helen rushed through her science project the night before it was due, confident she could finish it quickly. When she presented, she struggled to explain her work and received a low grade. The next time she was assigned a project, Helen started early and asked questions along the way. Her preparation paid off with a much better result.
The theme that is best developed in this passage is--
A. Luck determines success
B. Failure should be avoided at all costs
C. Planning ahead leads to better outcomes
D. School assignments are not important
What is C (planning ahead leads to better outcomes)?
Based on Elena’s actions, the reader can infer that she is —
A) Humble and selfless in her service to her community.
B) Secretive because she is embarrassed by her hobbies.
C) Frustrated by the lack of help from the younger generation.
D) Primarily concerned with the aesthetic of her neighborhood.
What is A (humble and selfless in her service to her community)?
The author uses the metaphor in this sentence to show that the classroom is —
A) Dangerous and likely to cause an injury.
B) Disorganized and lacking a clear leader.
C) Energetic and filled with purposeful movement.
D) Too loud for any actual learning to take place.
What is C (energetic and filled with purposeful movement)?
What is the resolution of the radio play "The Hitchhiker?"
What is the main character, Ronald, realizes he has been dead all along?
In The Odyssey, the setting of the Land of the Lotus Eaters acts as a temptation that threatens to—
A. Destroy Odysseus’s ships
B. Make the crew physically ill
C. Cause the crew to forget their goal of returning to Ithaca
D. Force the crew to fight the islanders
What is C (cause the crew to forget their goal of returning to Ithaca)?
Read this excerpt from The Odyssey, where Odysseus reflects on his long journey home:
Based on these lines, which of the following best expresses a major theme of the epic?
A) Wealth and riches are the ultimate reward for a hero's bravery.
B) True happiness and fulfillment are found in loyalty to home and family.
C) Adventure is necessary to appreciate the beauty of foreign lands.
D) A person's identity is defined by the treasures they collect.
What is B (true happiness and fulfillment are found in loyalty to home and family)?
Read this excerpt from a short story about two brothers, Leo and Silas: "Leo spent his mornings at the library, meticulously checking his research against three different sources. He wouldn't write a single word until he was certain of the facts. Meanwhile, Silas was already at the construction site, tossing aside the instruction manual and hammering beams together based on a 'gut feeling' and a quick glance at the blueprint."
The author uses the contrast between Leo and Silas’s approaches to work to —
A) Illustrate that Silas is more successful than his brother.
B) Emphasize Leo’s cautious nature compared to Silas’s impulsiveness.
C) Show that the brothers are unable to communicate effectively.
D) Suggest that neither brother is qualified for their respective jobs.
What is B (emphasize Leo’s cautious nature compared to Silas’s impulsiveness)?