Context Clues and Word Meanings
Vocabulary In Context:
Based on the context of the sentence, what is the best meaning of the word dominant?
Most important, powerful, or controlling.
Identify Literary Technique:
Identify and name the literary technique used in the phrase: "The minute hand was a snail inching along the vast circumference."
Metaphor (or Simile, since the comparison is indirect but clear).
Identify Structure of P1: What is the primary text structure used in Paragraph 1 of the python excerpt?
Cause and Effect. (Cause: pet trade/climate $\rightarrow$ Effect: reproduction/establishment).
Identify the Main Claim: State the author's main claim regarding school uniforms.
Implementing a mandatory school uniform policy is the most effective strategy for improving the educational environment.
Identifying Theme Anchor (Literary): What is the SINGLE most important element a reader should track in a literary story to begin formulating the theme?
Character’s main conflict (Internal or External) OR How the main character changes (Character Development).
Morphology/Root:
The word photovoltaic describes solar technology. Using your knowledge of the Greek root photo- and the root -volt-, what does the word literally mean?
Generating electricity (volt) from light (photo).
Interpret Meaning of Oxymoron: Interpret the meaning and effect of the oxymoron: "Its chimes... were a thunderous whisper."
What does it suggest about sound?
The oxymoron suggests the sound is powerful and far-reaching ("thunderous") yet also subtle or comforting ("whisper")—it's a sound that dominates the area but is a familiar, soft presence to the people living there.
Identify Structure of P2: What is the primary text structure used in Paragraph 2 of the python excerpt?
Problem and Solution. (Problem: decline in mammals $\rightarrow$ Solutions: bounty programs/detection methods).
Evaluate Evidence Relevance: Why is the survey finding ("over 75% of parents... believe their children should be allowed to wear hats in class") considered weak or irrelevant evidence for the claim about uniforms?
It is irrelevant because the parents' opinion on wearing hats has nothing to do with whether uniforms reduce bullying, eliminate socioeconomic difference, or improve academic focus. It addresses a different policy issue.
Identifying Central Idea Anchor (Informational): List two textual features of an informational passage a reader should examine to identify the Central Idea.
Topic sentences of the body paragraphs AND Conclusion summary statements.
Vocabulary In Context:
Determine the meaning of the word capacity as used in the excerpt, and name one context clue that helps you define it.
Meaning: The maximum amount that something can hold or produce (power). Clue: The surrounding phrase "for solar power generation" or the comparison to total "consumption."
Stanza 1: The garden woke in silver light... A gentle air... The wind was just a velvet sigh... Stanza 2: But then, the clamor from the street, A sudden, rude, metallic beat.
Identify two pieces of diction from Stanza 2 that establish the sudden shift in mood and tone.
Diction: "clamor" and "rude" (or "metallic"). Justification: These words are jarring and aggressive, contrasting sharply with the gentle, soft diction of Stanza 1 ("hushed," "gentle," "velvet sigh").
P1: The introduction of the invasive Burmese python... was initially an accidental consequence...
P2: The primary effect... has been a dramatic decline... To combat this ecological disaster, scientists... have implemented bounty programs...
Explain the author's likely purpose for beginning with a Cause/Effect structure (P1) and shifting to a Problem/Solution structure (P2).
The author uses the shift to move the reader from understanding to action. Cause/Effect (P1) educates the reader on how the issue began. Problem/Solution (P2) makes the issue urgent by detailing the consequences and showing how scientists are actively addressing the crisis.
The argument states that the benefits of uniforms "outweigh the minor inconvenience." Identify a major logical flaw in the argument's reasoning (beyond the irrelevant hat survey).
The flaw is Begging the Question or Fallacy of Dismissal. The author assumes the opposition is merely a "minor inconvenience" without evidence, avoiding the need to address the actual, substantial counterclaims (e.g., freedom of expression, financial burden) held by opponents.
Identify three distinct literary elements (not just conflict or plot) a reader must synthesize to transition from a topic (like 'war') to a universal theme statement (like 'War requires the sacrifice of innocence').
Setting (How place/time influences action), Motifs (Recurring ideas/images), AND Symbolism (Objects/actions representing larger ideas).
Synthesis/Application:
Identify the word in the text that means the opposite of transitioning and justify your choice based on the word's negative prefix (if applicable).
The word is consumption. Although they aren't direct opposites, consumption (using up) is the opposite of generation (creating), which is the intended outcome of the transitioning effort away from fossil fuels. (Accept: "Fossil fuels remain" as the opposing idea.)
The poem uses two different sensory descriptions: "The wind was just a velvet sigh," and "The sun, no longer kind, became / A furnace stoked with angry flame."
Explain how the change in sensory details (touch vs. sight/heat) conveys the poem's entire shift in mood.
The shift moves from gentle touch to harsh sight/heat. "Velvet sigh" uses soft, tactile imagery to evoke ease and comfort (serene mood). The "furnace" uses intense, hot, visual imagery to convey sudden, oppressive discomfort (anxious mood), making the shift visceral.
Analyze whether the two structures used (Cause/Effect and Problem/Solution) are effective for the text's persuasive goal of conveying the urgency of python control.
The structures are highly effective. The Cause/Effect legitimizes the threat by explaining its origins. The Problem/Solution creates urgency by detailing the negative consequences ("dramatic decline") and showing that immediate action (the solution) is required, compelling the reader to agree with the goal.
Identify the specific type of bias or logical fallacy the author uses in the conclusion: "...Clearly, the educational benefits of uniforms outweigh the minor inconvenience of restricted clothing choices." Justify why this rhetorical move is invalid.
The fallacy is Straw Man or Dismissive Fallacy. The author misrepresents or simplifies the counter-argument (which may involve freedom of expression or financial burden) as a trivial matter, making it easier to knock down and avoid addressing the legitimate opposing claims.
Explain how analyzing the protagonist's final decision in a literary text helps a reader achieve the B.E.S.T. standard of analyzing the development of the theme throughout the text.
The protagonist's final decision is the climax of the theme's development. It reveals whether the character learned the central lesson implied by the plot (the theme) or if they failed to learn it. Tracking this development shows how that final moral or insight was earned through the preceding conflicts and events.