Common Test Questions & Vocab
Common Test Questions & Vocab
Reading the
Passages
Multiple Choice Test 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 title of the article, story or poem 3. Read the subheadings 4. Look at any pictures and captions 6. Read the questions you will have to answer. 

100

What should you do if you are not sure what answer choice is the correct one? 

a) Don't put an 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

100

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. Restate the question & answer it (making an inference). 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/code 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 questions and notes in the margins.
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 are some ways you can use your scratch paper before starting to write your essay?

(1) Make a T-chart, a Venn Diagram or a 3-Column chart for compare & contrast essays. (2) Jot down notes about what you plan to write in each paragraph of your essay. (3) Look back at the text and then write down all the possible pieces of evidence you might want to use (that way you can choose from those pieces of evidence while writing your essay). 4. Students may offer another option (as long as it sounds reasonable/logical, answer may be accepted and points granted)

400

Read the sentence from line 8 of the poem. 

"They perch and have a quiet stare at children playing here and there."

The word perch means that Nita and Navi are

sitting above the playground

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

If you are confused on a question what is the first thing you should do?

REREAD!!

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

What should be included in an essay?

Introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion

500

9 Those kids are not the same at all. 

10 Abe’s round. 

11 Chi’s freckled. 

12 Lala’s extra-tall. 

13 BamBam’s wild and must run free, while Lulu reads quietly.

What do the numbers refer to?

the numbers refer to the line or paragraph in the text

500

In a poem, what is a stanza?

a group of lines divided by a space.

500

If you are stuck on the name of a person, place, or thing what should you do?

Read it as the first letter of the name or give it a nickname so that you do not get stuck on the pronunciation of a persons name or name of a place. 

500

If a question says "According to the story, in paragraph 6, ...." What SHOULD you do before choosing an answer?

Go back to paragraph 6 and reread it.

500

When asked to write a short answer or an essay about TWO different passages, what should you include?

Details and/or quotes from BOTH passages.