Academic Vocabulary
What is an author's claim?
Their argument, point, or opinion.
Which quote below shows that the narrator sometimes dreads planned activities?
A. I had excitedly made plans to meet up with some old friends. But to my surprise, as the date approached, I started to feel reluctant and unenthusiastic about these long-awaited reunions.
B. For example, in one, we asked participants to imagine grabbing a coffee with a friend. Half of the participants imagined that they planned this gathering a few days in advance and put it on their calendar, while the other half were told that they decided to grab a coffee on the fly.
A. I had excitedly made plans to meet up with some old friends. But to my surprise, as the date approached, I started to feel reluctant and unenthusiastic about these long-awaited reunions.
Who is the intended audience of the article?
A. Experts on the subject of behavior and decision-making
B. Students who are seeking new research opportunities
C. People wanting to understand why they don't enjoy planned leisure time
D. Individuals who want to try new and exciting leisure activities
C. People wanting to understand why they don't enjoy planned leisure time
What are highlighter, notepad, strikethrough, dictionary, screen and font color?
What does the word "impromptu" mean as used in paragraph 7 of "Fun Weekend Plans"?
Unscheduled
Unplanned
Spur of the moment
The narrator of the poem; the person speaking in the poem.
Which quote shows that scheduling leisure activities can sometimes feel like an obligation?
A. But this doesn't mean that scheduling will take the fun out of everything. After all, you can't do everything on the fly. For those who do need to make plans days or weeks in advance, something called "rough scheduling" can work wonders.
B. We found that structuring not only made the activity feel more like work, but also decreased participants' desire to engage in them. In other words, even an impromptu leisure event starts to feel like work once it's structured.
B. We found that structuring not only made the activity feel more like work, but also decreased participants' desire to engage in them. In other words, even an impromptu leisure event starts to feel like work once it's structured.
In paragraph 18, what does alleviate mean?
A. To make a decision about
B. To make less severe
C. To emphasize
D. To disregard
B. To make less severe
What time should you go to bed Wednesday night before the STAAR test on Thurdsay?
What is 9:00-10:00 PM?
What is another word for "alleviate" as used in paragraph 18?
Remedy
Reduce
Negate
What is a counterargument?
When the writer acknowledges an opposing viewpoint or the "opposite side."
Which quote below best shows Thea's mind works better in her new room?
A. The acquisition of this room was one of the most important things to happen to her.
B. From the time she moved up to the wing, Thea began to live a double life.
C. Pleasant plans and ideas occurred to her which had never occurred before.
C. Pleasant plans and ideas occurred to her which had never occurred before.
4. Which quotation best shows that people's lives were less scheduled and organized in years past?
A. But to my surprise, as the date approached, I started to feel reluctant and unenthusiastic about these long-awaited reunions. (paragraph 2)
B. We increasingly rely on scheduling to organize our lives: phone calls, appointments, dates— and, yes, fun social activities. (paragraph 4)
C. We found that this simple, relaxing activity was associated more with work-like qualities ("obligation," "effortful," "work") when it was scheduled, . . . (paragraph 7)
D. In several follow-up studies, we found that simply scheduling something fun—like a movie or social outing—felt like work. . . . (paragraph 8)
B. We increasingly rely on scheduling to organize our lives: phone calls, appointments, dates— and, yes, fun social activities. (paragraph 4)
In your own words, what is the difference between an SCR and an ECR?
An ECR is a full 4 paragraph essay. An SCR is a short answer that has a claim and text evidence.
What does "obligation" mean as is used in paragraph 7?
Duty
Commitment
Responsibility
Job
Something you must do regardless if you want to or not.
The poet's use of imagery in lines 35 and 36 contributes to the poem "Leaping Falls" by creating a tone of —
In this sample question, what is the meaning of the term "tone?"
The speaker's feelings or attitudes about their subject.
OR
How the speaker/writer feels.
Which quote below best shows that Paul's family is wealthy?
A. Paul never knew where they were except when a telegram announced that they were going somewhere else.
B. [Paul] tried to occupy himself with pasting postcards into his album.
C. "[Paul went] to his mother's [room] first...the wonderful lacy bedroom, all pale silks and velvets, artful mirrors and veiled lamps and the boudoir as big as a drawing-room."
D. "The habit of solitude had given [Paul] a passion for the printed page..."
C. "[Paul went] to his mother's [room] first...the wonderful lacy bedroom, all pale silks and velvets, artful mirrors and veiled lamps and the boudoir as big as a drawing-room."
What is the most likely reason the author included the words "grouse" and "chore" in paragraph 3?
A. To convey a feeling of dread
B. To create a feeling of concern
C. To express a sense of skepticism
D. To reveal a sense of regret
A. To convey a feeling of dread
True or false: I will likely still pass the STAAR even if I don't complete my ECR.
FALSE! You must write your ECR to earn a passing score.
What is another word or phrase for "leisure" as used in paragraphs 1, 4, 12, 16?
Fun
Free time
Recreational time
Which of the following statements best describes the theme of the poem "I am Offering You This Poem?"
In this sample question, what is the meaning of the term "theme?"
The message
Which quote shows that Thea is a resourceful person?
A. In October, while the days were still warm, Thea and Tillie papered the room, walls and ceiling in the same paper....
B. On very cold nights, Thea always put a brick in the oven after supper, and when she went upstairs...she put it in her bed.
C. In the end of the wing...her mind worked better. She thought things our more clearly.
B. On very cold nights, Thea always put a bring in the oven after supper, and when she went upstairs...she put it in her bed.
Which quotation best expresses the author's concession to the argument that plans cannot always be made spontaneously?
A. We think that it has to do with how scheduling structures time. (paragraph 12)
B. The only difference was that some of the participants had strict schedules, while others didn't. (paragraph 15)
C. We found that structuring not only made the activity feel more like work, but also decreased participants' desire to engage in them. (paragraph 16)
D. For those who do need to make plans days or weeks in advance, something called "rough scheduling" can work wonders. (paragraph 17)
D. For those who do need to make plans days or weeks in advance, something called "rough scheduling" can work wonders. (paragraph 17)
What type of evidence is the author using in this excerpt?
As someone who studies consumer behavior and decision-making, I decided to explore this phenomenon with Gabbie Tonietto, a Ph.D. candidate in marketing. With Tonietto leading the investigation (the results would eventually become a part of her dissertation), we conducted a series of studies to see if filling out our calendars—even with fun activities—can have unexpected side effects.
What is expert testimony?
What is empirical evidence?
"Gabbie Tonietto, Ph.D candidate in marketing"
"We conducted a series of studies...."
1. What is an "anomaly" as used in paragraph 4 of "Fun Weekend Plans"?
2. What other words from that paragraph help you know the meaning of the word anomaly.
1. Outlier; Irregularity; Different from others
2. "Or do other people feel this way too?"