Ji-Li & Her World
Character Detective
Read Between the Lines
Main Idea, Summary & Evidence
Fix that writing!
100

Who is the narrator and main character of Red Scarf Girl?

Ji-Li Jiang

100

If a character is smiling, laughing, and celebrating, what can you infer about the character's feelings?

The character is probably happy/excited/pleased.

100

What does it mean to make an inference?

To use clues from the text plus what you know to figure out something the author does not state directly.

100

What should a good summary include?

The most important characters, events, conflict, and outcome. The main idea does not mean every small detail.

100

What punctuation mark usually follows an introductory dependent clause?
Example: When the bell rang__ we packed our bags.

A comma , 

200

During the Cultural Revolution, what part of Ji-Li's life causes other people to judge her negatively?

Her family/class background, especially that her grandfather was a landlord.
200

A character is offered an important opportunity but immediately worries about what others know about her family. What does this reveal?

She is anxious/insecure about how her family background affects the way others see her.

200

If someone is described as showing "political excellence", what does political most likely refer to in a Cultural Revolution setting?

Loyalty/Support for the Communist Party, Chairman Mao, the Revolution, and China.

200

Which belongs in a summary: an important decision that changes the character or the color of the room where the conversation happened?

The important decision that changes the character.

200

Correct the error.

we read a magazine called National Geographic.

We read a magazine called National Geographic.

300

Ji-Li is often torn between two loyalties. What are they?

Loyalty to her family and loyalty to Chairman Mao/the Cultural Revolution/China.

300

A trusted teacher reminds a frightened student of her strengths and tells her she can overcome difficulties. How could this influence the student?

It could give her the courage/confidence to face the challenge.

300

A teacher tells a student, "Your past doesn't decide what you can become." What message is the teacher communicating?

The student can overcome her background/circumstances and shape her own future. 

300

A student claims, "Ji-Li's family background affects how she sees herself." What kind of evidence would BEST support this claim?

A specific moment where Ji-Li worries about, feels ashamed of, or changes her behavior because of her family/class background.

300

Choose the best transition:

Reading every night can imporve your vocabulary. __________, it can help you become a stronger writer.

a. However     b. Additionally   c. On the other hand

d. Instead

b. Additionally

400

Why would being connected to a landlord create problems for Ji-Li during the Cultural Revolution?

Landlords were considered members of an undesirable class of people who exploited others, so Ji-Li could be judged by her family's class status.

400

Ji-Li wants to refuse an opportunity because of her family background, but afterward she decides to accept it. What kind of character change does this show?

She becomes more confident/corageous and begins believing she can overcome her circumstances. 

400

When answering an inference question, which is stronger: an answer that could be true or one supported by specific details in the passage? Why?

The answer supported by specific text evidence because an inference must be based on evidence. 

400

You have four possible summaries. One contains only the beginning, one includes inaccurate information, one lists tiny details, and one explains the main conflict and how it is resolved. Which should you choose?

The one explaining the main conflict and how it is resolved.

400

A paragraph argues that students should have longer lunch periods. What supporting detail is the strongest?

A. Lunch is my favorite class.
B. Some students like pizza.
C. More time allows students to eat without rushing.
D. The cafeteria has blue tables.

C. It directly supports the argument with a relevant reason. 

500

At the beginning of the Memoir (story about her life), Ji-Li is proud of her accomplishments. As the Cultural Revolution progresses, how does her family background affect her identity?

She begins to feel ashamed, fearful, conflicted, or less confident because society defines her by her family's class status instead of her own accomplishments.

500

A character says she is afraid she will cry immediately after agreeing to do something difficult. What does this reveal that simply saying "she agreed" does not?

She is still anxious or afraid even though she is choosing to be brave. Her courage does not mean she has stopped feeling fear. 

500
A passage begins with a character doubting herself and ends with her believing her future can be better. What is the BEST way to describe the change?

She changes from fearful/insecure or discouraged to more hopeful, courageous, and confident. 

500

A prompt asks whether the Cultural Revolution affected Ji-Li's sense of identity. What must a strong response explain-not merely list?

HOW the Cultural Revolution changed the way Ji-Li viewed herself, supported with specific evidence from the text.

500

Fix everything that needs fixing:
After Maya finished her homework she opened a book called the hunger games.

After Maya finished her homework, she opened a book called "The Hunger Games".