Vocab 1
Scene from the past
flashback
Extreme exaggeration
hyperbole
Where are you taking the English II state test?
the gym
Read the excerpt from Emma by Jane Austen, then answer the question that follows.
. . . when he was now obliged to part with Miss Taylor too; and from his habits of gentle selfishness, and of being never able to suppose that other people could feel differently from himself. . . .
What does this line reveal about the narrator’s feelings towards the father?
A. The narrator views the father as caring.
B. The narrator has sympathy for the father.
C. The narrator views the father as arrogant.
D. The narrator approves of the father’s position.
C. The narrator views the father as arrogant.
Read the paragraph from “When You Give a Tree an Email Address” by Adrienne LaFrance, then answer the question that follows.
Officials assigned the trees ID numbers and email addresses in 2013 as part of a program designed to make it easier for citizens to report problems like dangerous branches The "unintended but positive consequence," as the chair of Melbourne's Environment Portfolio, Councillor Arron Wood, put it to me in an email, was that people did more than just report issues. They also wrote directly to the trees, which have received thousands of messages—everything from banal greetings and questions about current events to love letters and existential dilemmas.
Which inference can be drawn from this paragraph?
A. Melbourne citizens enjoyed reporting problems to the city.
B. The public response to the tree email project was surprising.
C. Melbourne's government learned more about issues affecting the city.
D. The tree email project succeeded in its goal of helping city maintenance.
B. The public response to the tree email project was surprising.
Author’s attitude toward the subject
tone
A universal message about life
theme
Can I highlight and make notes on the English II state test?
Yes
Based on this paragraph, what can the reader infer about Jurgis?
A. Jurgis overcame his true nature because of his love for Ona.
B. Jurgis wished Ona were a stronger person.
C. Jurgis did not get upset easily.
D. Jurgis worked hard at his job.
A. Jurgis overcame his true nature because of his love for Ona.
Read the sentence from “Radium” by Deborah Blum, then answer the question that follows.
Due in part to his own relentless pressure (he was a man who liked to see his research put to use), those findings would eventually result in regulatory reform.
In the sentence, what is the most likely reason the author includes the detail that is inside the parentheses?
A. to suggest Martland’s relief that he achieved some fame
B. to reveal Martland’s strong advocacy for particular groups
C. to emphasize that Martland conducted studies to bring about change
D. to show that Martland felt overwhelmed by the attention he received
C. to emphasize that Martland conducted studies to bring about change
Main argument or position on a topic
claim
Introduction of characters and setting
exposition
How long do you have to take the English II (reading section) state test?
3 hours
Read the sentences from “Snapping an Iconic Photo” by Don Nardo and “The Story of the ‘Migrant Mother’” by Ben Phelan, then answer the question that follows.
As she drove back toward Highway 101 that day, Lange may have realized that she had not asked for her subject’s name. In fact, she would never find out. No one even knew her name: Lange never asked, and by the time the photo appeared in a local newspaper, the woman and her family had moved on to the next town.
What conclusion can be drawn from the sentences?
A. Lange attempted to maintain a closeness to the people she worked with.
B. Lange’s photographs were different from her recollections of the events.
C. Lange tried to be as efficient as possible when completing her assignments.
D. Lange’s photographs represented something greater than the individuals who were in them.
D. Lange’s photographs represented something greater than the individuals who were in them.
Read this excerpt from “Radio Address about the National Energy Crisis, January 19,1974” by Richard Nixon, then answer the question that follows.
"But the Federal Government also has a vital role to play. It must be a catalyst for industrial initiative. It must clear away the red tape that lies in the way of expanding our supplies, and it must provide the seed money for research and development." (paragraph 18)
Why does Nixon use the word catalyst in describing the role of the federal government?
A. to show that the government needs to initiate change
B. to describe how the government has caused the crisis
C. to argue that the government must solve the crisis alone
D. to highlight how the government will work with the American people
A. to show that the government needs to initiate change
Judge the quality or effectiveness
evaluate
A logical guess based on evidence + reasoning
inference
Do you get scratch notebook paper while taking the English II state test?
Yes
Read the paragraph from the novel The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, then answer the question that follows.
(3) All the remedy that offered to my thoughts at that time was to get up into a thick bushy tree like a fir, but thorny, which grew near me, and where I resolved to sit all night, and consider the next day what death I should die, for as yet I saw no prospect of life I walked about a furlong1 from the shore, to see if I could find any fresh water to drink, which I did, to my great joy. . . I went to the tree, and getting up into it, endeavoured to place myself so that if I should sleep I might not fall. And having cut me a short stick, like a truncheon, for my defence, I took up my lodging; and having been excessively fatigued, I fell fast asleep, and slept as comfortably as, I believe, few could have done in my condition, and found myself more refreshed with it than, I think, I ever was on such an occasion.
How does this paragraph develop Crusoe's character in the story?
A. Rather than focusing on being hunted, Crusoe attempts to find prey.
B. Rather than being fearful, Crusoe begins to find the island less threatening.
C. Rather than feeling sorry for himself, Crusoe begins to focus on ways to survive.
D. Rather than complaining about his meager supplies, Crusoe attempts to find the best uses for them.
C. Rather than feeling sorry for himself, Crusoe begins to focus on ways to survive.
Read the paragraph from “Game of Her Life” by Tim Crothers, then answer the question that follows.
Phiona walks past dogs, rats, and long-horned cattle, all competing with her to survive in a cramped space that grows more crowded every minute. She navigates carefully through this place where women are valued for little more than . . . childcare, where fifty percent of teen girls are mothers. It is a place where everybody is on the move but nobody ever leaves; it is said that if you are born in Katwe you die in Katwe, from disease or violence or neglect. Whenever Phiona gets scared on these journeys, she thinks of another test of survival. “Chess is a lot like my life,” she says through an interpreter. “If you make smart moves you can stay away from danger, but you know any bad decision could be your last.”
In the paragraph above, what does Phiona’s comment about playing chess suggest?
A. Her life has few purposes other than playing chess.
B. Her life has improved since she began playing chess.
C. Her life and a chess game both depend on the generosity of others.
D. Her life and a chess game can both be ruined by a single poor choice.
D. Her life and a chess game can both be ruined by a single poor choice.
Made clearer or more precise over time
refined
The art of persuasive writing or speaking
rhetoric
How long do you have to take the writing portion of the English II state test?
90 minutes
Read Sonnet XCI by William Shakespeare, then answer the questions that follow.
Some glory in their birth, some in their skill, Some in their wealth, some in their bodies’ force, Some in their garments, though new-fangled ill, Some in their hawks and hounds, some in their horse, (5) And every humour hath his adjunct pleasure, Wherein it finds a joy above the rest; But these particulars are not my measure; All these I better in one general best. Thy love is better than high birth to me, (10) Richer than wealth, prouder than garments’ cost, Of more delight than hawks or horses be; And having thee, of all men’s pride I boast— Wretched in this alone, that thou mayst take All this away, and me most wretched make.
Based on the sonnet, what would the speaker find most distressing?
A. losing his love
B. losing his wealth
C. losing his self-respect
D. losing his self-confidence
A. losing his love
Read the paragraph from “Energy Drinks Promise Edge, but Experts Say Proof Is Scant” by Barry Meier, then answer the question that follows.
Caffeine is called the world’s most widely used drug. A stimulant, it increases alertness, awareness and, if taken at the right time, improves athletic performance, studies show. Energy drink users feel its kick faster because the beverages are typically swallowed quickly or are sold as concentrates.
What does the author mainly emphasize in the paragraph above?
A. the ways to regulate caffeine intake
B. how caffeine impacts the human body
C. how quickly the human body absorbs caffeine
D. the problems with using caffeine while playing sports
B. how caffeine impacts the human body