Reading Comprehension
What is the definition for the main idea of the story?
The central point or message of the story
Define the term "Exotic."
something or someone originating from a distant, foreign place, or being very unusual, striking, or fascinating
Where should the comma(s) be? We went to the store and we bought some milk.
What is WE WENT TO THE STORE, AND WE BOUGHT SOME MILK?
What is a theme in a story?
The underlying message or lesson the story conveys.
A comparison of 2 unlike things that do NOT use the words "like" or "as".
A metaphor
What does it mean to make an inference?
To make an educated guess about what will happen in the story based on context clues.
Define the term "Renowned."
widely known, celebrated, or highly honored for a special skill or quality
Where should the comma(s) be? Although I studied all night I wasn't ready for the test.
What is ALTHOUGH I STUDIED ALL NIGHT, I WASN'T READY FOR THE TEST?
Julia wanted to become a doctor for as long as she could remember. In college when her friends were out at the mall or going out with friends, Julia spent all of her time studying. At graduation, Julia graduated with high honors and was offered a job shortly after. What is the theme?
A Studying is important.
B It is important to go to college.
C Hard work pays off.
C. Hard work pays off.
My favorite baseball player was up to bat. CRACK!! He hit the ball with all his power and made a homerun!
Onomatopoeia
Mr. Pig and Mr. Dog were hanging out at the food court of the animal shopping mall. Mr. Pig was eating a huge feast of pizza and drinking a large jug of fruit punch and Mr. Dog was watching him eat. "Hey, Mr. Pig. If you give me a slice of your pizza, I'll let you have the next bone I find." Mr. Pig declined, even though it hurt his stomach to eat the last three slices of pizza. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dog," Mr. Pig said, "but I paid for this pizza and it's all mine." Mr. Dog sighed and waited for Mr. Pig to finish, and then they left the animal mall together. On the way out, a hunter spotted them and gave chase. Mr. Pig normally could have escaped the hunter but since he was weighed down by such a large meal, Mr. Pig collapsed and the hunter killed him. Mr. Dog easily escaped. Later that night while returning to the scene, Mr. Dog caught the scent of something delicious and began digging around a trash can. He found a large ham bone with lots of meat and marrow still stuck to the bone. Mr. Dog happily ate. What is the theme?
a. Watch out for danger
b. Treat others the way you want to be treated
c. It is better to share than to be greedy.
C. It is better to share than to be greedy
What is the term used to define that attention getting beginning of an essay?
A hook
Where should the comma(s) be? My brother who is six feet tall likes to play basketball.
What is MY BROTHER, WHO IS SIX FEET TALL, LIKES TO PLAY BASKETBALL?
Growing up, Sally was always in the shadow of her older sister Mary. Mary always got better grades, was better at sports, and seemed to even be prettier. Sally spent a lot of time in the family's garden feeling sorry for herself. Then one day Mary needed help on a science project about plants. Due to all of her time in the garden, Sally knew a lot about plants and was able help Mary with the project. Sally was shocked that she was better at something than her sister. What is the theme?
A Accept yourself for who you are.
B Sports are not important
C You can learn a lot from plants.
A. Accept yourself for who you are.
The tree danced in the cool, refreshing breeze.
personification
What is the difference between the main idea of a story and the theme of a story?
The main idea is mostly what the story is about (a short summary). The theme is the life lesson or moral that the author wants us to remember. It may have nothing to do with the details of the story itself.
Define a thesis statement
one- or two-sentence summary of the main argument, claim, or purpose of an academic paper, typically located in the introduction
What type of sentence is the following? I want to go well on the PSSA, so I am going to make sure to try my hardest.
compound
The Monkey and the Cookies A monkey put his hand into the jar of cookies. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the cookie jar. Unwilling to lose the cookies, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and cried bitterly. What is the theme?
A Eating cookies can be dangerous.
B If you are greedy, you might get nothing.
C Don't put your hand in a jar.
B. If you are greedy, you might get nothing.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Alliteration
Alan had very few responsibilities, but one of them was to clean his room. It did not take long, but Alan still didn't like doing it. One day Alan thought of a way to save some time. Rather than putting everything neatly back in its place, he decided to just throw all the stuff on the floor into his closet. His mom would think that he had cleaned his room, and it would only take a fraction of the time. Alan was pleased with himself for thinking of this brilliant idea. He figured that this would save a lot of time and energy. The next time his room got messy, he piled everything up in the closet and the pile grew. It grew and grew. Then Alan's friend Steve called. "Alan, everyone is playing baseball at the park. Do you want to play too?" Alan loved baseball. "That sounds great, Steve. I'll be right there." Alan went to grab his baseball mitt when he realized that it wasn't in its usual place. Alan thought to himself, I guess it's in the closet. When he opened up the closet door, he was faced with a huge, unnavigable mess, some of which poured out as he opened the door. Alan began digging through the pile in a frantic attempt to find his mitt. He dug and dug, and as he dug his room got messier and messier. Soon his room was the messiest that it had ever been, and he still hadn't found his mitt. Alan sighed in despair. By the time he found his mitt, the boys had long concluded their game and Alan had hours of cleaning ahead of him before he'd be allowed to leave. What is the theme?
a. Cutting corners comes at a cost; do things right the first time.
b. Take shortcuts in life.
c. Do things right the first time to enjoy your friends and family.
A. Cutting corners come at a cost; do things right the first time.
What is a homophone?
Words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings (e.g., "to" and "too").
What type of sentence is the following? After the students finish the test, they may sleep, or they may read a book.
compound-complex sentence
One winter, a monkey found a snake stiff and frozen. The monkey felt sorry for the snake and so he picked the snake up and held it to his chest to try to warm it. The snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and because of its instincts, bit the monkey with all its might. What is the theme?
A Even though you have good intentions, others may not
B Don't hold snakes close to your chest.
C Snakes are dangerous.
A. Even though you have good intentions, others may not.
I ate a million cupcakes.
hyperbole