Theme 1
A central message in a passage or story
Theme
Mrs. Smith was doing a unit on healthy living with her students. All week she taught her students about eating the correct foods like fruits and vegetables. Over the weekend, some of Mrs. Smith's students were at the mall and saw her eating pizza, a milkshake, and candy. Mrs. Smith's student Molly was going to order a salad, but now decided to order junk food too. What is the theme?
A. Actions speak louder than words
B. Never eat pizza at the mall
C. Vegetables are good for you
A.) Actions speak louder than words
Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark's bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen, he wanted to start a band. His father hired the Rolling Stones to play with him every Saturday at the family's private concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a bunch of possessions that he didn't appreciate and Money Mark could find nothing new or exciting in his life. Despite his vast wealth, Money Mark was never satisfied. What is the theme?
Money can't buy happiness.
Themes must be inferrered. True or false?
True
True or False: There is only one theme in a story.
False
The best recipes for clam chowder all include onions and a bay leaf. The onions add a sharpness and zest to the blandness of the clams, and also help remove their slimy texture. The bay leaf complements the onion’s strong flavor.
This paragraph best supports the statement that:
a. onions were once thought to be poisonous.
b. bay leaves are essential in many soups.
c. clam chowder is very nutritious.
d. onions and bay leaves go well with clams.
d. onions and bay leaves go well with clams.
Julia wanted to become a doctor for as long as she could remember. In college when her friends were out at the mall or going out with friends, Julia spent all of her time studying. At graduation, Julia graduated with high honors and was offered a job shortly after. What is the theme?
A. Studying is important.
B. It is important to go to college.
C. Hard work pays off.
C.) Hard work pays off.
Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton's reading class. Mr. Morton wasn't too strict about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. He did all of his homework in his other classes but never bothered to complete Mr. Morton's reading assignments, figuring that he could complete them later. Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton assigned the night that he assigned it. She had to stay up a little later, but she didn't want to get a penalty for turning in her reading work late. Tammy knew reading was a core subject and that she had to keep "C" average for the entire year or she would have to go to summer school. When the end of the quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Enchanted Castle amusement park, but Mr. Morton called Sammy's mother, and she grounded Sammy until he turned in all of his work. That weekend was horrible for Sammy. He stayed up until 2:00 AM each night and still couldn't complete all of the assignments. The whole while, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle, watching movies late at night, and enjoying her weekend free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a "C" minus in reading while Tammy earned an "A." Sammy still hasn't learned his lesson and probably won't complete this activity either. What is the theme?
a. Do the best you can in school
b. Work hard, play hard.
c. Complete all your assignments to achieve success.
B.) Work hard, play hard.
The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures. No search of a person’s home or personal effects may be conducted without a written search warrant issued on probable cause. This means that a neutral judge must approve the factual basis justifying a search before it can be conducted.
This paragraph best supports the statement that the police cannot search a person’s home or private papers unless they have:
a. legal authorization.
b. direct evidence of a crime.
c. read the person his or her constitutional rights.
a. legal authorization.
When winding an old clock, it is important not to overwind it. Overwinding occurs when the mainspring is almost fully wound, but the operator continues to turn the winding key. This causes the mainspring to coil too tightly, and might even break it.
This paragraph best supports which statement?
a. clocks have changed over the years.
b. old-fashioned clocks become fragile with age.
c. old-fashioned clocks were operated by an internal spring.
d. overwinding clocks used to be a common mistake.
b. old-fashioned clocks become fragile with age. and
One New York publisher has estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States want an anthology that includes the complete works of William Shakespeare. And what accounts for this renewed interest in Shakespeare? As scholars point out, the psychological insights he portrays in both male and female characters are amazing even today.
This paragraph best supports the statement that:
a. Shakespeare’s characters are more interesting than fictional characters today.
b. people today are interested in Shakespeare’s work because of the characters.
c. academic scholars are putting together an anthology of Shakespeare’s work.
b. people today are interested in Shakespeare’s work because of the characters.
when Sally was growing up she could not read and as a result people made fun of her, so Sally started to learn on how to read and after a while she was able to read.
that's the theme for this story
A.give up
B. work hard to accomplish your goals
C. barely work hard to accomplish something
A. B. work hard to accomplish your goals
Mr. Pig and Mr. Dog were hanging out at the food court of the animal shopping mall. Mr. Pig was eating a huge feast of pizza and drinking a large jug of fruit punch and Mr. Dog was watching him eat. "Hey, Mr. Pig. If you give me a slice of your pizza, I'll let you have the next bone I find." Mr. Pig declined, even though it hurt his stomach to eat the last three slices of pizza. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dog," Mr. Pig said, "but I paid for this pizza and it's all mine." Mr. Dog sighed and waited for Mr. Pig to finish, and then they left the animal mall together. On the way out, a hunter spotted them and gave chase. Mr. Pig normally could have escaped the hunter but since he was weighed down by such a large meal, Mr. Pig collapsed and the hunter killed him. Mr. Dog easily escaped. Later that night while returning to the scene, Mr. Dog caught the scent of something delicious and began digging around a trash can. He found a large ham bone with lots of meat and marrow still stuck to the bone. Mr. Dog happily ate. What is the theme?
Sharing is better than being greedy.
Mathematics allows us to expand our consciousness. Mathematics tells us about economic trends, patterns of disease, and the growth of populations. Math is good at exposing the truth, but it can also perpetuate misunderstandings and untruths. Figures have the power to mislead people.
This paragraph best supports the statement that:
a. the study of mathematics is dangerous.
b. words are more truthful than figures.
c. the study of mathematics is more important than other disciplines.
d. the power of numbers is that they cannot lie.
e. figures are sometimes used to deceive people.
e. figures are sometimes used to deceive people.
Some athletes have fought uphill battles, trying to get their athletic activities recognized as legitimate sports.
What is the meaning of the word legitimate as it is used in the sentence?
A. challenging B. authentic C. organized D. profitable
B. authentic
Critical reading is a demanding process. To read critically, you must slow down your reading and, with pencil in hand, perform specific operations on the text. Mark up the text with your reactions, conclusions, and questions. When you read, become an active participant.
This paragraph best supports the statement that:
a. critical reading is a slow, dull, but essential process.
b. the best critical reading happens at critical times in a person’s life.
c. readers should get in the habit of questioning the truth of what they read.
d. critical reading requires thoughtful and careful attention.
d. critical reading requires thoughtful and careful attention.
The Monkey and the Cookies A monkey put his hand into the jar of cookies. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the cookie jar. Unwilling to lose the cookies, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and cried bitterly. What is the theme?
A. Eating cookies can be dangerous.
B. If you are greedy, you might get nothing.
C. Don't put your hand in a jar.
B.) If you are greedy, you might get nothing.
Blaine opened up the present and began pouting. He screamed in a high-pitched voice, "This is Captain Thunder! I wanted Captain Lightning!" His mother looked at him with dismay and handed him another present, which he greedily opened. "Why did you get me a red hat? You know I like blue more," Blaine whined as he threw the hat across the room. His mother straightened her expression and squinted at him. Earlier she had hoped to take some pictures of this moment, but by now she had put away her camera. She sighed and handed him one more present in hopes that this year wouldn't be a total bust. Blaine huffed and opened it. "A Game Box 4000� wow. Where's the Game Box 5000 that I asked for?" His mother could bear his ingratitude no longer. The next time that Blaine returned from his father's house, he was shocked to find that all of these toys and gifts, along with many other of his things, had been generously donated to needy children. What is the theme?
Be thankful for what you have in life.
Today’s postal service is more efficient than ever. Mail that once took months to move by horse and foot now moves around the country in days or hours by truck, train, and plane. If your letter or package is urgent, the U.S. Postal Service offers Priority Mail and Express Mail services. Priority Mail is guaranteed to go anywhere in the United States in two days or less. Express Mail will get your package there overnight. This paragraph best supports the statement that:
a. more people use the post office for urgent deliveries than any other delivery service.
b. Express Mail is a good way to send urgent mail.
c. Priority Mail usually takes two days or less.
d. mail service today is more effective and dependable
d. mail service today is more effective and dependable
The early Scots called these creatures water kelpies, water horses, water bulls, or simply spirits, and mothers sternly warned their children not to play too close to the shores of lakes or rivers; the beast, or whatever it was, could take the form of a horse, galloping onto the land, enticing a child on top of its back, and then plunging with its helpless little rider back into the depths.
What is the meaning of the word enticing as it is used in the passage?
A. sensing B. allowing C. tempting D. providing
C. tempting
There are no effective boundaries when it comes to pollutants. Studies have shown that toxic insecticides that have been banned in many countries are riding the wind from countries where they remain legal. Compounds such as DDT and toxaphene have been found in remote places like the Yukon and other Arctic regions.
This paragraph best supports the statement that:
a. toxic insecticides such as DDT have not been banned throughout the world.
b. more pollutants find their way into polar climates than they do into warmer areas.
c. studies have proven that many countries have ignored their own anti-pollution laws.
a. toxic insecticides such as DDT have not been banned throughout the world.
One winter, a monkey found a snake stiff and frozen. The monkey felt sorry for the snake and so he picked the snake up and held it to his chest to try to warm it. The snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and because of its instincts, bit the monkey with all its might. What is the theme?
A. Even though you have good intentions, others may not
B. Don't hold snakes close to your chest.
C. Snakes are dangerous.
A.) Even though you have good intentions, others may not
Alan had very few responsibilities, but one of them was to clean his room. It did not take long, but Alan still didn't like doing it. One day Alan thought of a way to save some time. Rather than putting everything neatly back in its place, he decided to just throw all the stuff on the floor into his closet. His mom would think that he had cleaned his room, and it would only take a fraction of the time. Alan was pleased with himself for thinking of this brilliant idea. He figured that this would save a lot of time and energy. The next time his room got messy, he piled everything up in the closet and the pile grew. It grew and grew. Then Alan's friend Steve called. "Alan, everyone is playing baseball at the park. Do you want to play too?" Alan loved baseball. "That sounds great, Steve. I'll be right there." Alan went to grab his baseball mitt when he realized that it wasn't in its usual place. Alan thought to himself, I guess it's in the closet. When he opened up the closet door, he was faced with a huge, unnavigable mess, some of which poured out as he opened the door. Alan began digging through the pile in a frantic attempt to find his mitt. He dug and dug, and as he dug his room got messier and messier. Soon his room was the messiest that it had ever been, and he still hadn't found his mitt. Alan sighed in despair. By the time he found his mitt, the boys had long concluded their game and Alan had hours of cleaning ahead of him before he'd be allowed to leave. What is the theme?
Cutting corners comes at a cost; do things right the first time. Don't take shortcuts in life.
Reality TV shows will have an adverse effect on traditional dramas and comedies. As reality TV increases in popularity, network executives will begin canceling more traditional programs and replacing them with the latest in reality TV. This paragraph best supports the statement that:
a. reality TV is low quality.
b. reality TV shows get the highest ratings.
c. more and more people love to watch and participate in reality TV.
d. as reality TV gets more popular, more traditional television shows may be threatened.
d. as reality TV gets more popular, more traditional television shows may be threatened.
Which example of parenthetical citation is correct?
A. According to Gene Chenier, Maravich had an extreme commitment to basketball during his youth, when he carried or dribbled a ball with him in unusual circumstances (Harrison, review of Pete: The Man Behind the Legend).
B. One book review claims that Maravich had an extreme commitment to basketball during his youth, when he carried or dribbled a ball with him in unusual circumstances (48).
C. Chenier points out examples of Maravich’s extreme commitment to basketball during his youth, when he carried or dribbled a ball with him in unusual circumstances (Harrison 48).
D. The book describes “examples of Maravich’s extreme commitment to basketball during his youth, when he carried or dribbled a ball with him in unusual circumstances” (Harrison 48).
C. Chenier points out examples of Maravich’s extreme commitment to basketball during his youth, when he carried or dribbled a ball with him in unusual circumstances (Harrison 48).