Conflicts
Which situation describes a person-versus-nature conflict?
A. two boys arguing over a ball
B. a person trapped by rising floodwaters
C. losing a loved one in an accident
B. a person trapped by rising floodwaters
What is the author’s purpose for writing the essay?
Today, people are more aware of their health than ever before. We’ve all heard the saying “health is wealth.” People around the world are making genuine efforts to have a healthy lifestyle. One of the most important efforts toward better health is regular exercise.
Regular exercise is very important to good health. Any form of exercise or vigorous physical activity helps prevent heart disease. Exercise helps prevent diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Exercise also builds healthy muscles and burns extra calories.
Good health is important for living a good life. Therefore, everyone should set aside a little time each day to exercise.
to inform readers about the importance of exercise
Read the excerpt and select the signal word or phrase that indicates it is part of a cause and effect essay.
She spent the day before playing with her friends. When her teacher started passing out the exam, her heart sank. What was she going to do? She quickly decided to cheat off her neighbor. Her teacher looked over and saw her looking at her neighbor’s test. Consequently, her teacher took her test, put a big red zero across the top, and sent her to the principal’s office until the test was over.
Consequently
Which thesis statement best suits a research topic about homeschooling?
A. Homeschooled children don’t depend on money from the government for their education.
B. Homeschooling is an education system where a child is taught in his or her home.
C. Millions of students have been schooled at home in the last couple of years.
D. Homeschooling should be encouraged because it creates a healthy learning environment.
D. Homeschooling should be encouraged because it creates a healthy learning environment.
What is contraction? Please provide an example.
Def: a word or group of words resulting from shortening an original form
Ex: She's a teacher. or “goodbye” is a contraction of “God be with you.”
Which of the following is the best description of a person-versus-society conflict?
A. an argument or a physical fight between two people
B. a person who is fighting against an idea or a group
C. a person who is trying to benefit from being part of a group
D. a person who is helping others who are poor and weak
B. a person who is fighting against an idea or a group
What is the purpose of an index in an informative text?
A. It identifies important vocabulary words and their definitions.
B. It shows readers where to find information on a specific idea, term, or person.
C. It quickly provides readers information on what they will read about.
D. It provides a visual representation of data that relates to the information in the text.
B. It shows readers where to find information on a specific idea, term, or person.
Brittany wrote a paper about the types of beverages that are available in her school cafeteria. Which text structure best suits the purpose of this text?
A. cause and effect structure
B. classification structure
C. compare and contrast structure
D. definition structure
E. narrative structure
B. classification structure
Which two sources would be reliable options for a research paper?
A. a paper written by another middle school student who doesn’t use other sources
B. a book written in the 1980s that describes advances in technology
C. a journal article written by an expert on a topic who is respected by other experts
D. a government website that offers many viewpoints on an issue
E. a blog post that contains a clearly biased point of view on the topic
C. a journal article written by an expert on a topic who is respected by other experts
D. a government website that offers many viewpoints on an issue
Read the letter Marshall has written for a class assignment. Which phrase in the letter is a parenthetical element that lacks punctuation?
Dear Valerie,
How are you? Last evening I was at the marathon. I was surprised to see the number of runners. Even my teacher Mr. Gilbert was running. I really enjoyed the run, although it was tiring. Thanks for training me so well. I didn’t win, though. Two kids from my school Jamie Lynn and Brendan John were the winners. They received gold medals.
See you soon,
Marshall
Jamie Lynn and Brendan John
Read these two excerpts from Narrative of Sojourner Truth. Which sentence correctly states the type of conflict described in each excerpt?
Excerpt 1
The question in her mind, and one not easily solved, now was 'How can I get away?' So, as was her usual custom, she 'told God she was afraid to go in the night, and in the day everybody would see her.'
Excerpt 2
When her master saw her, he said, 'Well, Bell, so you've run away from me.' 'No, I did not run away; I walked away by day-light, and all because you had promised me a year of my time.' His reply was, 'You must go back with me.' Her decisive answer was, 'No, I won't go back with you.
Excerpt 1 describes a person-versus-self conflict, while Excerpt 2 describes a person-versus-person conflict.
Which sentence is the best essay topic based on the following prompt?
Prompt: Think about an after-school activity. How would you describe it in a cause and effect essay? Explain why after-school activities are necessary and what effect they have on a student's life.
Which analogy illustrates a cause and effect relationship?
A. pencil : lead – coconut : milk
B. pinch : pain – hug : comfort
C. book : backpack – food : refrigerator
D. palm: hand – knuckle : finger
B. pinch : pain – hug : comfort
Review the writing prompt. Then answer the question that follows.
Prompt: A recent study found that 73 percent of teens are on social networking sites, such as Facebook or Twitter. Write a five-paragraph essay (300 words) about the history of social networking sites.
Which two narrowed topics best fit the writing prompt?
A. tips for using hashtags in your status on social media sites
B. the development of Facebook as a way to communicate with others
C. ways to find great summer jobs while using Facebook
D. how to take the perfect “selfie” for your Facebook profile picture
E. how early sites such as Myspace made social networking popular among teenagers
B. the development of Facebook as a way to communicate with others
E. how early sites such as Myspace made social networking popular among teenagers
Which sentence in the passage uses an intensive pronoun?
Julie and Ronnie entered the café. They spotted a vacant table near the window with a sea view. The girls immediately threw the heavy bags on the seats and made themselves comfortable. Ronnie spotted the tall, lanky waiter, who always seemed to be smirking at something. He wore a curiously quiet expression today. Ronnie called out to him—“Hey, Tommy.” But Tommy was busy observing himself in the mirror behind the bartender. Finally, Ronnie herself walked up to him and ordered two lattes.
Ronnie herself walked up to him and ordered two lattes.
Which sentence in this personal letter shows an internal conflict?
12 Pedley Road
Riverside, California
May 24, 2013
Dear Mrs. Bentley,
Thank you for being such a great help to me during Tom's illness. I don't know what I would have done without you. I really appreciate all you’ve done for my family during a difficult time. Since you joined our family as a nanny three years ago, my life has been so much easier. That is why I feel terrible to inform you that we have to let you go. I lay awake all night thinking about how to break it to you. I thought about my decision a hundred times before writing this letter. I am terribly sorry, Mrs. Bentley. If I had my way, you would stay with us for many more years. But with Tom’s illness and Reggie’s unemployment, we can’t afford a nanny anymore.
Regards,
Miranda
I thought about my decision a hundred times before writing this letter.
What is a thesis statement?
It is an argumentative statement and it summarizes the main ideas in the essay in one sentence.
What is the main purpose of a signal word or phrase in a cause and effect essay?
A. to create multiple text structures
B. to help the reader understand cause and effect relationships
C. to help the writer determine which verbs to use
D. to help the reader understand the essay’s main idea
B. to help the reader understand cause and effect relationships
Which sentence is correctly written with no spelling errors?
A. The trankility of the place was contajous.
B. The trancuility of the place was contajeous.
C. The tranqillity of the place was contagous.
D. The tranquility of the place was contagious.
D. The tranquility of the place was contagious.
Which two phrases in this passage point to the meaning of the word stealthily?
The question in her mind, and one not easily solved, now was, 'How can I get away?' So, as was her usual custom, she 'told God she was afraid to go in the night, and in the day every body would see her.' At length, the thought came to her that she could leave just before the day dawned, and get out of the neighborhood where she was known before the people were much astir. 'Yes,' she said, fervently, 'that's a good thought! Thank you, God, for that thought!' So, receiving it as coming direct from God, she acted upon it, and one fine morning, a little before day-break, she might have been seen stepping stealthily away from the rear of Master Dupont's house."
get away and before day-break