Theme & Main Idea
A story follows a student who repeatedly fails a test but continues studying until she passes.
What theme is most strongly developed?
Perseverance leads to success.
A character donates anonymously to a local charity.
What character trait is revealed?
Generous, selfless, compassionate
Identify the figurative language:
"The thunder growled angrily across the sky."
Personification
An article explains why pollution occurs and what happens because of it.
What text structure is used?
Cause and effect
During the group project, Marcus had to collaborate with several classmates to complete the presentation before the deadline.
What does collaborate most likely mean?
To work together with others
Why is the statement "Friendship" NOT a theme?
It is a topic, not a complete lesson or message.
Which STEAL category is being used?
"I would rather fail honestly than cheat," Maria said.
Speech
How does the imagery in the following sentence affect the mood?
"The broken swing creaked in the cold, empty playground."
Creates a lonely or eerie mood.
An author presents two opposing viewpoints on school uniforms.
What text structure is most likely used?
Compare and contrast
The detective carefully analyzed the clues before deciding who committed the crime.
What does analyzed most likely mean?
Examined closely or studied carefully
A character lies throughout a story and eventually loses everyone's trust.
What theme does this conflict develop?
Honesty is important / Dishonesty can damage relationships.
A character says they are brave but refuses to enter a haunted house.
What can readers infer?
The character may not be as brave as they claim.
Identify both the figurative language and its meaning:
"The classroom was a zoo."
Metaphor; the classroom was chaotic.
Why would an author choose a problem-solution structure?
To explain an issue and propose ways to solve it.
The scientist's conclusion was based on years of research, including experiments and data collection.
What does research most likely mean?
Careful study or investigation to learn information
How would the theme change if the character never learned from their mistakes?
Themes would vary but students should explain how character growth affects theme.
Explain the difference between direct and indirect characterization using an example.
Answers vary
How would the mood change if the author replaced the word "crept" with "skipped"?
The mood would become lighter, happier, less suspenseful.
An article provides statistics and expert opinions supporting year-round school.
What is the author's purpose?
Persuade
After hearing the witness's testimony, the jury had to evaluate whether the evidence was strong enough to support the claim.
What does evaluate most likely mean?
To judge or determine the value or quality of something
Explain how conflict helps develop theme in a story.
Conflict challenges characters and often leads to lessons that reveal the theme.
Why is indirect characterization often more effective than direct characterization?
It allows readers to infer traits and engage more deeply with the text.
Why might an author choose figurative language instead of literal language?
To create imagery, emphasize ideas, evoke emotion, and engage readers.
How can text structure help readers understand the author's purpose?
The organization supports the author's goal and makes ideas easier to follow.
The character showed great resilience by continuing to work toward her goals despite facing many obstacles and setbacks.
What does resilience most likely mean?
The ability to recover from difficulties and keep going