Vocab
What does it mean to find the main idea?
Tell what the story or paragraph is MOSTLY about.
What should you do with instructions?
READ THEM before you begin reading anything else.
What is the tool you can use to organize your thoughts before writing a multiple paragraph response?
Your graphic organizer.
True or False. Go into the MCAS with 100% confidence that you will pass!
True
What is the definition of "personification"? Give an example.
Giving objects, ideas, places, or animals human qualities. (The sun is smiling down on me.)
What does "theme" mean in regards to a piece of writing?
The message/life lesson that the author wants us to learn.
Should you ever leave a question blank?
NO!
Narrative writings tell _____. When you finish the narrative, you must write in the correct ________.
A story. When writing a narrative it is your job to write from the perspective specified by the question (point of view).
True/False. You can skip hard questions you are totally stuck on and come back to them later after doing the easier ones.
True. Move on to other questions in the section first, and double back to the harder ones after.
What is a the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Give an example.
comparing two things (simile uses the words "like" or "as")
What does point of view mean? What points of view do we mostly see in the stories we read?
The position from which a character observes a particular situation or event. First person (I) or third person (he, she, they).
When something is bold or underlined what does that mean?
What are important details to remember when you are finishing the story?
correct point of view, keep the characters and setting, stay on topic/same genre
True/False. Writing a response is just like explaining your thought process verbally.
True. A lot of the time you say you are stuck but can explain the right answers. When you get stuck, just picture talking to a teacher and telling them the answer.
What is an idiom? Give an example.
A figure of speech used for exaggeration that is not literal. (This assignment is a piece of cake.)
Describe the difference between compare and contrast.
Compare means to identify the similarities between two or more people, places, or things. Contrast is to look at the differences between them.
What can you do to help narrow down options for multiple choice questions?
Eliminate (literally crossing out) answers you know are wrong, that way increasing your odds of picking the right answer.
What is something you can do while reading to identify important information from the text?
Highlight, circle, underline etc.
True or False. Just because the person next to you finishes quickly, they probably knew everything on the test.
False. Everyone works at their own pace. You do You!! Don't worry about anyone else. You can have all the time you need to finish (well, until 2:30 that is!).
What is the term for descriptive language the author uses that helps a reader better imagine a piece of literature?
Imagery
What does it mean to "infer" something?
To make logical conclusions based on information from the passage combined with your background knowledge.
What is something you can do to help identify key information before reading an essay.
Read the question first. This helps your brain know what to look for while reading.
What should be your open response if you are asked to respond to the text?
Restatement topic sentence, Specific evidence to support your answer AND an explanation of why that evidence is important, and a conclusion sentence.
Complete the statements with the correct word: On the night before the exam you should get _____________. Before the exam you should eat _____________.
A good night's sleep. A good breakfast.
What is the difference between tone and mood?
Tone describes the author's attitude and the mood describes the reader's emotion/feeling.