summary
Which of the following is the best definition of a summary?
A. A detailed explanation of every event in a text
B. A brief statement that includes the most important ideas from a text
C. A personal opinion about what happened in a text
D. A prediction about what will happen next
B. A brief statement that includes the most important ideas from a text
What does it mean to paraphrase?
A. To shorten a text by only including its main idea
B. To copy the most important sentence from a text
C. To restate information from a text in your own words while keeping the original meaning
D. To explain what you think the author meant
C. To restate information from a text in your own words while keeping the original meaning
What is an inference?
A. A conclusion you make using evidence from the text and your own knowledge
B. A summary of the most important events in a text
C. The author's attitude toward a subject
D. A restatement of the text using different words
A. A conclusion you make using evidence from the text and your own knowledge
What is tone?
A. The main idea of a text
B. The author's attitude toward the subject or audience
C. The lesson or message the author wants readers to understand
D. The way a character feels about a situation
B. The author's attitude toward the subject or audience
Which skill involves figuring out something the author does not directly state?
A. Summarizing
B. Paraphrasing
C. Inference
D. Tone
C. Inference
A story is about a student who is nervous about trying out for the soccer team but practices every day, makes the team, and gains confidence. Which is the best summary?
A. A student is nervous about soccer tryouts but works hard, makes the team, and becomes more confident.
B. A student practices soccer every day.
C. Soccer is a difficult sport to play.
D. The student really wants to make the soccer team.
A. A student is nervous about soccer tryouts but works hard, makes the team, and becomes more confident.
Original: The storm caused widespread damage throughout the community.
Which is the best paraphrase?
A. The storm caused widespread damage throughout the community.
B. The community was affected by the storm.
C. The storm damaged many areas of the community.
D. I think the storm was terrible.
C. The storm damaged many areas of the community.
Jordan walked into the classroom, looked at the test on his desk, and took a deep breath before picking up his pencil.
What can you infer about Jordan?
A. He is excited.
B. He already finished the test
C. He forgot his pencil.
D. He is nervous about the test
D. He is nervous about the test
Read the sentence:
*"The puppy bounced across the room, wagging its tail and enthusiastically greeting everyone."
What is the tone?
A. Joyful
B. Angry
C. Frightening
D. Serious
A. Joyful
Which skill requires you to put a text's important ideas into a shorter version?
Summarizing
Question: Which of these should you LEAVE OUT of a summary?
A. The central idea
B. Important supporting details
C. Your personal opinion
D. Major events
C. Your personal opinion
Original: Although Maria was exhausted, she continued studying because she wanted to improve her grade.
Which is the best paraphrase?
A. Maria was tired, but she kept studying because she wanted a better grade.
B. Maria was exhausted and studying.
C. Maria wanted a better grade.
D. Maria studied all night.
A. Maria was tired, but she kept studying because she wanted a better grade.
Maya noticed that her little brother was shivering, so she grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around him.
What can you infer?
Maya's brother was cold, and Maya wanted to help him.
Read the sentence:
*"Of course, Jake forgot his homework again. At this point, I'm not even surprised."
What is the tone?
A. Amused
B. Excited
C. Frustrated
D. Hopeful
A student reads a paragraph and rewrites it completely in their own words without changing its meaning. What skill is the student demonstrating?
Paraphrasing
Question: A passage explains how bees help plants reproduce by carrying pollen from one flower to another. It also explains that declining bee populations could affect crops.
Which is the best summary?
A. Bees are interesting insects that live in many places.
B. Bees help plants reproduce by transferring pollen, and declining bee populations could threaten crops.
C. Bees fly from flower to flower looking for food.
D. People should be worried about bees because they are disappearing.
B. Bees help plants reproduce by transferring pollen, and declining bee populations could threaten crops.
A student changes only two words from the original sentence and keeps the same sentence structure. Is this an effective paraphrase? Why or why not?
No. An effective paraphrase should restate the idea in your own words and sentence structure while keeping the original meaning.
The restaurant was nearly empty. The waiter kept checking his watch, and several tables had already been cleaned and reset.
What can you infer about the situation?
It is probably late or near closing time.
Read the sentence:
*"The abandoned house stood silently at the end of the road. Its broken windows stared into the darkness."
What is the tone?
A. Cheerful
B. Mysterious
C. Celebratory
D. Playful
B. Mysterious
Read the sentence:
"Fantastic. Another rainy Saturday ruined. I guess I'll be sitting inside all day again."
What is the tone?
A. Excited
B. Frustrated
C. Peaceful
D. Hopeful
A student summarizes a story by including every character's name, describing several minor events, and explaining how the student personally felt about the ending. What is the biggest problem with this summary?
It includes too many unnecessary details and personal opinions instead of focusing on the text's most important ideas.
Original: Scientists believe that planting more trees in cities can reduce temperatures because trees provide shade and release moisture into the air.
Which is the best paraphrase?
A. Scientists believe planting trees in cities can make them cooler because trees create shade and add moisture to the air.
B. Planting more trees in cities can reduce temperatures because trees provide shade and release moisture into the air.
C. Trees are important because they provide shade.
D. Scientists study trees in cities.
A. Scientists believe planting trees in cities can make them cooler because trees create shade and add moisture to the air.
Carlos practiced his presentation several times, wrote notes on index cards, and asked his sister to listen to him rehearse.
What can you infer about Carlos?
He cares about doing well on his presentation and wants to be prepared.
Two authors write about the same rainy day.
Author A: Rain gently tapped against the windows while the family gathered around the fireplace.
Author B: Rain pounded against the roof as dark clouds swallowed the sky.
How do the tones differ?
Author A has a peaceful/cozy tone, while Author B has a gloomy or ominous tone.
Read the passage:
"Lena stared at the pile of books on her desk. She had highlighted several pages, written notes in the margins, and created a list of questions she still needed to answer. She glanced at the clock and sighed before opening her textbook again."
What can you infer about Lena, and what evidence supports your inference?
Lena is likely preparing seriously for an important assignment or test. The evidence is that she highlighted pages, took notes, created questions, and continued studying despite being tired or frustrated.