Mixed-inference, main idea, fig language, CC - 7/8th

Picture this!

100

The person who owns these books is most likely interested in --

What is history? 

200

This bookstore is decorated for the month of --

What is December? 

300

These materials most likely belong to these people. 

What are students? 

400

This door most likely leads to this kind of room. 

What is an elementary classroom? 

500

The author of this diary most likely worked in this industry. 

What is oil? 

Main Idea

100

The origin of Red Velvet Cake, the sumptuous chocolate cake known for its blood-red texture and pearly white icing, is a true culinary mystery – no one can say for certain when or where it was first created. One of the earliest mentions of Red Velvet occurs as a result of a story took place at New York City’s famed Waldorf- Astoria hotel. According to legend, in 1959, a woman dining at the hotel’s restaurant was so smitten with the dessert that she requested the recipe from the Maiter d, who gave it to her graciously, and then charged an additional $200 to her bill.Infuriated, the woman started a chain letter, sending the recipe to hundreds o people, thus spreading its popularity across the United States. Historians and dessert aficionados claim the Waldorf-Astoria story is an urban legend and believe the true origins of Red Velvet can be found deep in the American south, however, there is little to no documentation to support this argument. While some consider Red Velvet Cake to be as American as apple pie, there is evidence to suggest that it was first served in, of all places, Toronto, Canada, where it has been a staple on the menu at Eaton’s department store in since the early 1960s.

The main idea of the above passage is:

a) Red Velvet Cake was probably first made in Canada because that’s where we find one of the first actual account.

b) Red Velvet cake is a great American treat.

c) The woman who started the chain letter is responsible for making Red Velvet Cake the American tradition that is has become.

d) No one knows for certain where Red Velvet Cake comes from or who made it first.

D) No one knows for certain where Red Velvet Cake comes from or who made it first.

200

Florence Foster Jenkins was an American soprano who achieved celebrity status in the 1920’s and 30’s even though she was a terrible singer. She was famous, or perhaps infamous, for her lack of pitch, tone, rhythm and poor vocal ability. Jenkins was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1868. Her family’s enormous wealth allowed her to take piano lessons and study music extensively, but Opera was her true passion, and more than anything Florence wanted to sing professionally. Her lack of ability did not impede her will. Upon her father’s death she received a substantial inheritance. She took singing lessons at age 40 and made numerous studio recordings that still exist today. While Jenkins made these recordings in earnest, her albums were regarded for their comedic value and not considered serious musical repertoire by the public. People bought Jenkins’ records not because she could sing beautifully, but precisely because she could not. Music critics regarded her recordings as “musical genocide”; one reviewer even commented, “Every discordant note from her throat is murder on the high C’s”. These stinging reviews did not deter Jenkins. In spite of her sub-par skills as a songstress, she continued to sing (badly), acquired a loyal fan base, and eventually went on to perform at New York City’s esteemed Carnegie Hall. Florence FosterJenkins died on November 26, 1944.

The main idea of the above passage is:

a) Florence Foster Jenkins achieved her dream of becoming a professional singer.

b) Florence Foster Jenkins was a singing star who died in 1944.

c) Florence Foster Jenkins had no singing ability but became a celebrity because of her lack of talent.

d) Florence Foster Jenkins’s true passion was Opera.

e) All of the above.

C)  Florence Foster Jenkins had no singing ability but became a celebrity because of her lack of talent.

300

Early on the morning of August 19, 1946, I was born under a clear sky after a violent summer storm to a widowed mother in the Julia Chester Hospital in Hope, a town of about six thousand in southwest Arkansas, thirty-three miles east of the Texas border at Texarkana. My mother named me William Jefferson Blythe III after my father, William Jefferson Blythe Jr., one of nine children of a poor farmer in Sherman, Texas, who died when my father was seventeen. According to his sisters, my father always tried to take care of them, and he grew up to be a handsome, hardworking, fun-loving man. He met my mother at Tri- State Hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1943, when she was training to be a nurse. Many times when I was growing up, I asked Mother to tell me the story of their meeting, courting, and marriage. He brought a date with some kind of medical emergency into the ward where she was working, and they talked and flirted while the other woman was being treated. On his way out of the hospital, he touched the finger on which she was wearing her boyfriend's ring and asked her if she was married. She stammered "no"—she was single. The next day he sent the other woman flowers and her heart sank. Then he called Mother for a date, explaining that he always sent flowers when he ended a relationship. Two months later, they were married and he was off to war.

Lobster was once

considered -

A fine dining

B a delicious meal

C low-class food

D to gross to eat

In the text, the word compensates

means -

A give someone something

B provide something.

C conceal something

D make up for something

Former president Clinton included the

story about his father and mother meeting in order to -

A explain why his last name is different

B show it was a loving relationship

C suggest they had troubles at home

D provide insight into living in Arkansas

C), A)

400

In recent times, cutting-edge advancements in modern technology have yielded a range

of new fabrics. These materials are employed in the manufacture of clothing with certain

specialized functions to cater to different professions. Compression attire, for instance,

assists athletes to optimize their performance and speed up recovery time. Furthermore,

those who are engaged in activities close to fire sources wear flame-resistant clothing to

protect their skin. Another example is “aerogel” which is used to make spacesuits and

protect vehicles in space. Technology is not only being used to create new fabrics,

though. It is also helping to make clothes with special functions. Some companies are

making clothing that can play music, answer phone calls, and even monitor the heartbeat

of the person who is wearing it. As technology develops, it will continue to transform our

clothing.

● What is NOT mentioned as new technological clothing?

A. clothing that plays music

B. clothing that can answer the phone

C. clothing that monitors the heartbeat

D. clothing that helps people lose weight

D) - D. clothing that helps people lose weight

500

Her mother had been questioning her. “But

who is he, my pet?” “He is Peter Pan, you

know, mother.” At first Mrs. Darling did not

know, but after thinking back into her

childhood she just remembered a Peter Pan

who was said to live with the fairies. There

were odd stories about him, as that when

children died he went part of the way with

them, so that they should not be frightened.

She had believed in him at the time, but now

that she was married and full of sense she

quite doubted whether there was any such

person. “Besides,” she said to Wendy, “he

would be grown up by this time.” “Oh no, he

isn't grown up,” Wendy assured her

confidently, “and he is just my size.” She meant

that he was her size in both mind and body;

she didn't know how she knew, she just knew it.

What is the primary theme

of the story?

A Remembering the past

can help the future.

B Adults never believe what kids say.

C You lose the magic of youth as you

grow up.

D Appreciate the beauty of

childhood.

What does the final sentence mean?

A He also thinks like a child.

B He will never grow up.

C He is not very smart.

D He is a short person.

C) 

A)

Figurative Language

100

Dusk in Autumn

By Sara Teasdale

The moon is like a scimitar,

A little silver scimitar,

A-drifting down the sky.

And near beside it is a star,

A timid twinkling golden star,

That watches likes an eye.

"The moon is like a scimitar" is an example of this type of figurative language. 

What is a metaphor? 

200

A type of figurative language that compares one thing to another thing by stating that something "is" another thing.

Ex: "Baby, you're a firework!" 

What is a metaphor? 

300

Primary type of figurative language used by Robert Frost in this poem. 

What is personification? 

400

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it's time, you'll know

This line is an example of a simile. 

What is, "Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow"? 

500

“She’s just a girl
And she’s on fire.” 

The songwriter/poet uses this type of figurative language to describe the subject. 

What is hyperbole? 

Whodunit??

100

A girl fell off a 20-foot ladder and did not get hurt. This is why. 

What is she fell off the bottom step? 

200

Marissa and Juliana went out for a soda together. They ordered the same drink. Juliana was really thirsty and finished five in the time it took Marissa to finish one. Both drinks were exactly the same, but only Marissa died. The poison was in this.  

What is ice? 

(Juliana's ice never melted because she drank her sodas so fast. Marisa's melted slowly, poisoning her drink.)

300

On the first day of school, someone murdered a history teacher. There were four people at the school that the police suspected had done it: the landscaper, a math teacher, a basketball coach, and the principal. These were their alibis:

The landscaper said he was outside mowing the lawn.

The math teacher said he was giving a mid-year test.

The basketball coach said he was running practice drills with his players.

The principal said she was in her office.

After giving their alibies, the police arrested the killer immediately. This person killed the history teacher.

Who is the math teacher? 

400

Nicole went to the police to report that someone had stolen her vintage ring. When the police got to her house they notice that the window was broken, there was a total mess inside, and there were dirty footprints on the carpet. But, there were no other signs of a break-in.

The next day, the police arrested Nicole for fraud. This is how they knew she was lying. 

What is the broken glass going outside instead of inside? 

500

A woman was in court for killing her husband. She said she wasn’t guilty and that she dearly missed him. In the closing statement, the woman’s lawyer stands up and says, “Her husband was just missing. Everyone look at the doors. He’s going to walk through them in about 30 seconds.”

The entire jury stares at the doors waiting for waiting for this woman’s husband to walk through the doors. The lawyer and the woman stare at the jury.

The lawyer concludes by saying, “See! If you were so sure she killed her husband, you wouldn’t be watching that door!”

The jury immediately gave a guilty verdict for this reason. 

What is the woman looked at the jury instead of the door? 

Context Clues

100

The artist incorporated subtle shades of blue tocreate a soft and delicate atmosphere inthe painting.

Using context clues, what does SUBTLE mean? 

Not easily noticeable or obvious, requiring careful observation orattention.

200

The author most likely included this graphic feature to show this. 

What is the location of the Bermuda Triangle?

OR 

Why is it called the Bermuda Triangle? 

300

With the passage of time, change becomes inevitable; it cannot be avoided or prevented.

Using context clues, what does inevitable mean? 

Certain to happen, unable to be avoided or prevented.

400

The professor delivered a coherent lecture, where each point flowed logically and was easy to understand.

Using context clues, what does coherent mean? 

Clear and logical, making sense and being easy to understand

500

Despite the challenges,Alex's perseverance and determination helped him overcome obstacles and achieve success.

Using context clues, what does perseverance mean? 

The quality of continuing to work hard and not giving up, evenwhen facing challenges.