Reading Review for the AHSGE :Reading Review for the AHSGE From, Passing the Alabama Graduation Examination in Reading, American Book Company


Finding the Main Idea :Finding the Main Idea Main idea is the central point or controlling idea of a passage Main ideas may only be implied


Tips for Finding a Stated Main Idea :Tips for Finding a Stated Main Idea Read the Title. The main topic for the paragraph or passage is often mentioned in the title Read the entire paragraph or passage. You’ll get an overview of who or what the selection is about Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. Most of the key words and ideas will be stated in these places Choose the answer that is the best statement or restatement of the paragraph or passage. Your choice should contain the key words mentioned in the title, the first sentences, or the last sentences in each paragraph of the passage


Tips for Determining an Implied Main Idea :Tips for Determining an Implied Main Idea Read the title. The title will help you identify the topic of the selection Read the entire paragraph or passage. You’ll get a general understanding of the selection Reread the facts and details in each paragraph. Think of overall ideas that they share in common Choose the answer that summarizes all of the facts and ideas in the passage. Confirm your choice by going back to the passage to check your evidence one more time


Reading for Details, Patterns of Ideas, and Word Meaning :Reading for Details, Patterns of Ideas, and Word Meaning Locating details is an essential skill for reading comprehension You will need to be able to recognize sequence of events in a story as well as understand cause-effect relationships in a passage


Tips for Locating Details :Tips for Locating Details Read the passage carefully Scan the passage to answer the questions with the 5 W’s or H (who, what, when, where, why, and how) Match key works in your choice of answers with those in the passage Always confirm your answer by going back to the passage


Tips for Answering Questions about Sequence of Events or Directions :Tips for Answering Questions about Sequence of Events or Directions Skim the passage. Look for key words that indicate a sequence of events or directions Read the passage Read the question and scan the sequences to find the answer Try to match key words from the question with the events or directions in the passage Check your answer against the evidence in the selection


Tips for Answering Cause-Effect Questions :Tips for Answering Cause-Effect Questions Read the passage Look for key words that signal hat the passage is about causes or effects Note any key words in the questions that suggest a cause or effect would be an answer Scan for the answer, and use the text to confirm your response


Inferences, Conclusions, Generalizations, Predictions, and Summary :Inferences, Conclusions, Generalizations, Predictions, and Summary Drawing an inference is making an educated guess based on facts and details in a passage A generalization is a specific type of inference in which you apply knowledge in a passage to new situations that are related Drawing a conclusion is an inference skill where you form a judgment or opinion based on the details in a passage Predictions involve thoughts or actions that could continue beyond the passage (known as applying idea) The meaning of a passage is a sentence that contains the message in a passage


Tips on Answering Questions about conclusions and Predictions :Tips on Answering Questions about conclusions and Predictions Read the passage twice Read the question and all the answer choices Choose your answer based on the stated facts or clues in the passage


Tips for Finding the Meaning :Tips for Finding the Meaning Read the passage carefully Reread the passage for details Choose the statement that best expresses the meaning of the passage


Fact and Opinion :Fact and Opinion A fact is a true statement that can be proven by observation, statistics, or research An opinion is a judgment or viewpoint about a person, place, event, or idea


Tips for Identifying Facts and Opinions :Tips for Identifying Facts and Opinions Facts state information based on observation, statistics, or research Opinions express a personal viewpoint or belief about a person, place, event, or idea Opinions contain adjectives like: best, worst, favorite, dishonest, etc Opinions sometimes include phrases such as: I feel, I think, my view, my opinion, etc


Reading Graphic Aids :Reading Graphic Aids Graphic aids present complex information in a simplified, visual format A schedule is information arranged in a timetable with dates and times Tables are ways of presenting data and statistics in a concise way Line graphs, bar graphs, and symbol graphs can present a large quantity of data in a small space


Reading Graphic Aids cont. :Reading Graphic Aids cont. A map is a flat drawing of all or part of the earth A globe is a model of the earth shaped like a ball or sphere (north, south, east, and west are cardinal directions) A historical map shows places and events from the past


Reading Graphic Aids cont. :Reading Graphic Aids cont. A grid is a pattern of lines drawn to make rows and columns on a map that divide the map into squares that are represented by letters and numbers on the edge of the grid Lines of latitude are horizontal lines that run parallel around the earth Lines of longitude are vertical lines that run parallel around the earth The equator, 0o line of latitude, divides the earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres The prime meridian, 0o line of longitude, divides the earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres


Reading Graphic Aids cont. :Reading Graphic Aids cont. Reading a road map requires paying close attention to the key The key gives information about what all the symbols mean An economic map shows resources and products of a country Diagrams can be used to explain a concept more clearly than an explanation written in paragraph form


Using and Choosing Reference Sources :Using and Choosing Reference Sources Thesaurus is a book containing lists of synonyms and antonyms in alphabetical order Telephone Directory is a book listing names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons, businesses, or organizations in alphabetical order An encyclopedia is a reference cork containing articles on a variety of subjects such as people, places, historical events, science, and technology. Articles are arranged alphabetically in volumes


Using and Choosing Reference Sources :Using and Choosing Reference Sources Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature contains articles from popular magazines. Indexed alphabetically by subject and author and published in volumes The Dewey Decimal System is used to organize books in a library and makes them easy to find Card Catalog is an alphabetical listing f books in a library found on a computer system or in a cabinet (author cards, title cards, and subject cards) A newspaper index is an alphabetical list of sections in a newspaper


Tips for Questions about Reference Sources :Tips for Questions about Reference Sources Skim through the reference source Read the reference source two or three times. Become familiar with the format and organization of the reference Read the question carefully Scan the reference source to find your answer Confirm your answer by reviewing the evidence in the source


Sections of a Book :Sections of a Book Title Page displays the title of the book, the name(s) of the author(s), edition, copyright, publishing company, and place of publication Preface section provides an explanatory statement about the book, telling the book’s history, purpose, or plan Table of Contents lists all the parts of the book including the introduction, the chapter titles, chapter subheadings, and page numbers indicating where each chapter begins, as well as the additional material pages


Sections of a Book cont. :Sections of a Book cont. Appendix contains additional material that is not essential to the text itself and is located at the end of the book (charts, documents, tables, illustrations, and/or photographs) Glossary is a dictionary of the specialized terms at the end of a book (alphabetized) Index is at the end of the book and contains the most important topics, headings, and subheadings discussed in the textbook (gives page numbers to find them) Bibliography contains the references or citations the author(s) used while writing their book


Analysis of Literature :Analysis of Literature Analyzing literature improves your understanding of what you are reading This will help you think critically about reading selections taken from speeches, short stories, poems, plays, articles, essays, ads, and editorials


Argument and Fallacy :Argument and Fallacy An argument often presents opinions that have a positive or negative slant An advertisement tries to persuade you to purchase a product such as a car or a service such as trash collection An editorial presents a viewpoint on a controversial issue such as violence on television or raising the speed limits A valid argument contains good logic, solid evidence, or clear reasons and examples form the reading selection A fallacy or false argument contains poor logic, weak evidence, or faulty reasons and examples from the reading selection


Tips for Analyzing an Argument :Tips for Analyzing an Argument Identify the opinion or viewpoint on the issue. It will generally appear near the beginning of the selection, but it may also appear at the end as a conclusion Read the supporting reasons for the opinion Decide whether the reasons or examples support the argument


Main Types of Fallacies :Main Types of Fallacies Jumping to Conclusions is a claim with little proof to support it (Ford is the best!) Ad Hominem is attacking the person rather than his or her ideas (Bill dresses like a nerd!) Circular Argument is when part of an argument is used as evidence to support it (Looks are more important than talent because looks mean everything) Testimonial is when famous persons endorse a product, even though they aren’t experts (Bill Cosby loves Jell-O) Either-Or Fallacy is when there are only two sides to an issue (this or that)


Types of Propaganda :Types of Propaganda Testimonials are a frequently used technique in which famous persons endorse a product even though they are not qualified as experts Transfer is a technique in which the public’s feelings on one thing are somehow connected to another unrelated thing In-Crowd Appeal is a kind of flattery which encourages viewers to identify with an admired, envied group Bandwagon is a technique in which the reader is made to feel that a great movement is beginning


Author’s Purpose for Writing :Author’s Purpose for Writing To inform (present facts and data) To entertain (amuse or offer enjoyment) To persuade (urge action on an issue) To instruct (teach concepts and facts) To describe feelings (communicate emotions through words) To create suspense (convey uncertainty) To motivate (incite) To cause doubt (be skeptical)


Author’s Purpose for Writing cont. :Author’s Purpose for Writing cont. To describe an event (narrate through series of events) To teach a lesson (furnish knowledge) To introduce a character (describe a person’s traits) To create a mood (establish atmosphere) To relate an adventure (tell an exciting story) To share a personal experience (tell about an event in your life)


Structural Devices :Structural Devices Structural Devices refer to elements that help you understand a story, poem, or play These devices include plot, character, setting, point of view, mood, and theme or interpretation


Setting and Its Features :Setting and Its Features Setting include the place and time in a story Place is the location where a story takes place Time is when the story occurs


Plot and Its Features :Plot and Its Features Plot is a pattern of events in a story leading to a conclusion Climax is the turning point in a story Conflict is the struggle between different forces in a story (can be with nature, one’s self, with others, or with society) Foreshadowing is clues or hints of events to come Suspense is anticipation about what will happen in a story


Character and Its Features :Character and Its Features Character is an imaginary person that appears in a literary work Antagonist is an opponent or rival of the hero Dialogue is a conversation between two people in a story Narrator is the person telling a story Protagonist is the hero or main character


Point of View and Its Features :Point of View and Its Features Point of view is the perspective form which a writer tells a story First person point of view is when the narrator tells the story from the “I” point of view Third person point of view is when the writer tells the story describing characters as “he,” “she,” or “they”


Mood and Tone :Mood and Tone Mood is the atmosphere of a literary work. The writer creates a mood through details in the setting and plot Tone is a feeling or attitude conveyed to the reader in a work of literature


Theme or Interpretation :Theme or Interpretation Theme or interpretation is the message or meaning in a story, poem, or play. The reader is then able to gain insights into literature and life


Rhetorical Devices :Rhetorical Devices Rhetorical Devices are ways of expressing ideas that are unusual Writers use rhetorical devices to achieve special effects in a passage These effects are achieved by how the authors arrange their words These devices can be found in poetry, stories, essays, speeches, editorials, and advertisements


Specific Rhetorical Devices :Specific Rhetorical Devices Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonants in lines of poetry or prose (“Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,” – Langston Hughes) Analogy is a comparison between two things or ideas (comparing life to a journey) Euphemisms are using mild words to describe something instead of using offensive words (passed away for died) Hyperbole is an exaggeration to create an effect (“I would rather die that each Brussels sprouts!”)


Specific Rhetorical Devices cont. :Specific Rhetorical Devices cont. Metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike things without using the words “like” or “as” (the sun was a ball of fire) Onomatopoeia – words whose sound suggests their meaning (splash, buzz, hiss, boom) Personification is giving human qualities to something not human (the wind whispered) Rhyme occurs when the last words have the same sounds Simile is a comparison between two things using “like” or “as” (free as a bird)


Tips for Answering Questions about Structural and Rhetorical Devices :Tips for Answering Questions about Structural and Rhetorical Devices Read the literary selection at least twice Try to summarize the selection in your own words Decide which answer best describes the structural or rhetorical device you are asked to find Choose your answer, and then confirm it by going back to the selection


Types of Literature :Types of Literature Fiction is a narrative writing drawn from the imagination rather than from history or fact (most frequently associated with novels and short stories) Nonfiction is a factual writing which is meant to inform the reader (newspapers or magazine articles) Biography is a written account of a person’s life; a life history Autobiography is the story of a person’s life as written by that person


Types of Literature cont. :Types of Literature cont. Fantasy is a written work that takes place in an exaggerated world with bizarre characters in it Science Fiction is a written work in which scientific facts, assumptions, or hypotheses form the basis of adventures in the future, on other planets, or in different dimensions of space and time Mystery is a term used to designate a work in which mystery or terror plays a controlling part


Types of Literature cont. :Types of Literature cont. Romance is a written work describing extravagant places, remote locations, heroic events, and passionate love Allegory is a device used to convey a deeper meaning based on the actions of the characters Novel is any extended fictional narrative almost always written in prose Short Story is a story varying in length from 500 to 15,000 words (generally, these stories contain a plot and reveal the characters in the story through actions and thoughts)


Types of Literature cont. :Types of Literature cont. Epic is a long narrative poem in elevated style presenting characters of high position in adventures, always including a central heroic figure Fable is a brief tale told to point a moral (characters are frequently animals, but people and inanimate objects can also be central) Tall Tale is a humorous tale common on the North American frontier (use realistic detail and a literal manner to explain seemingly impossible deeds and events) Poem is concentrated work expressing strong feelings (can be spoken and can contain significant meaning, sense impressions, and figurative language)


Types of Literature cont. :Types of Literature cont. Folk Tale is a simple story set in the past (contain animal, human, or superhuman characters. Supernatural events are included which resolve conflicts) Myth is a story with supernatural characters and events used to explain religious beliefs or rituals (can be written to explain certain natural phenomena) Legend is a story associated with some period in the history of a people or nation (written to glorify human hero or an object that has significance to a people)