English 9 Reading Pre-assessment

Burning the American flag should be a crime.

• Fact

• Opinion

Which literary term refers to the time and location the action of a story takes place?

• Theme

• Epic

• Setting

• Context

If the author utilizes the pronoun “I” in the narration and reveals the thoughts and feelings of only one character, the author is known to be using:

• First person point-of-view

• Second person point-of-view

• Third person point-of-view

• Omniscient point-of-view

Which literary term refers to the central idea or message a story relays to the reader?

• Narration

• Dialogue

• Epic

• Theme

Which literary term refers to the point of greatest emotional intensity in a story?

• Falling action

• Denouement

• Rising action

• Climax

Indirect characterization involves which of the following?

• What the character does

• What the character says

• What the character looks like

• All of the above

Tone is the attitude the writer takes toward the subject. 

• True

• False

Which literary term refers to an instance where an author gives hints or clues that suggest or prepare for events that occur later?

• Foreshadowing

• Irony

• Flashback

• Personification

Which literary term refers to an instance where an author presents scenes or incidents that have happened before the opening scene?

• Foreshadowing

• Irony

• Flashback

• Personification

The author describes the Penn State study so that readers will realize that:

• Any type of music can improve mood.

• College students experience many emotions.

• Music decreases students’ happiness.

• Rock-and-roll is the most helpful music.

Why did Fatima Serwona buy a cell phone?

• To make calls to order goods

• To make additional money for her business

• To link her village with other villages

• To call villagers to tell them about her store

It is worth sacrificing some personal liberties to protect our country from terrorism.

• Fact

• Opinion

In the third paragraph, the author is mainly trying to help readers: 

• Find a variety of ways to improve their moods

• Interpret the data from the studies

• Choose their favorite kind of music

• Discover how music affects their moods

A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express a strong sentiment:

• Simile

• Hyperbole

• Metaphor

• Imagery

Language that appeals to the senses

• Simile

• Hyperbole

• Metaphor

• Imagery

Sometimes curly hair can look better than straight hair. 

• Fact

• Opinion

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America.

• Fact

• Opinion

Which literary term refers to the character against the main character?

• Foil

• Narrator

• Antagonist

• Protagonist

There are more calories in a latte from Starbucks than a Snickers bar.

• Fact

• Opinion

When researchers measure dog intelligence, they look for the abilities to:

• Herd and do work.

• Learn and solve problems.

• Protect and defend.

• Be loyal and show affection.

Which literary term refers to the action or sequence of events in a story?

• Plot

• Foreshadowing

• Flashback

• Comedy

What are paragraphs 2 and 3 mostly about?

• The most popular dogs.

• How dogs are trained.

• Differences between dog breeds.

• Dogs that herd sheep.

What is one similarity between a stratovolcano and a cinder cone?

• Both are cone-shaped.

• Both can be more than 8,000 feet tall.

• Both are sometimes called composite volcanoes.

• Both make up Earth’s most spectacular mountains.

How are stratovolcanoes and cinder cones different?

• Only stratovolcanoes produce lava. .

• Only stratovolcanoes have chimneys.

• Cinder cones have a crater at the top

• Cinder cones usually build up more quickly.

What is another difference between stratovolcanoes and cinder cones?

• Cinder cones usually have more vents.

• Stratovolcanoes are usually much taller.

• Only stratovolcanoes erupt into the sky.

• Rocks erupt only from cinder cones.

How are stratovolcano and cinder-cone eruptions alike? 

• Both produce violent explosions of hot gas and ash.

• Both force material through a single vent.

• Both push out materials that shape the sides of the volcano.

• Both kinds of eruptions last for hundreds of years.

What is paragraph 1 mostly about?

• Why dog owners think their dog is smart

• The ten smartest dog breed

• How dog intelligence is determined

• How dogs rank in popularity

Which literary term refers to the problem or struggle that starts the rising action in a story?

• Conflict

• Drama

• Complication

• Climax

Which literary term refers to the main character in a story?

• Narrator

• Persona

• Antagonist

• Protagonist

Which dog breed mentioned in the passage is a popular hunting dog? 

• The German shepherd

• The golden retriever

• The Rottweiler

• The border collie

Which literary term refers to the ways an author reveals important aspects about the people in a story?

• Characterization

• Style

• Imagery

• Irony

If the author utilizes the pronouns “s/he,” and/or “they” in the narration and reveals the thoughts and feelings of all characters, the author is known to be using:

• First person point-of-view

• Second person point-of-view

• Third person point-of-view

• Omniscient point-of-view

Why do you think so many microfinance borrowers are likely to repay their loans?

• The borrowers are both successful and grateful.

• The lenders threaten them if they do not repay.

• The interest rates are very low.

• The borrowers become rich from the loans.

One way Fatima Serwona’s loan helped her community was by: 

• Making her wealthier than her neighbors.

• Giving villagers a way to make phone calls.

• Helping villagers get their own loans.

• Sending children from her village to school.

The main purpose of the second half of the passage is to:

• Entertain readers with stories about music

• Inform readers about how music affects researchers

• Encourage readers to use music to improve their own moods

• Instruct readers on what type of baroque music they should listen to

The author describes the University of Maryland study so that readers will learn:

• About classical and baroque music

• About the effects of music on people's mood

• How studies are conducted

• Music helps only medical workers

Based on information in the passage, which statement about Fatima’s village is most likely true? 

• Many people go to their own stores.

• All of the children go to school.

• Most people receive micro-finance loans.

• Few people have phone service.

A character who is used as a contrast to another character is called this:

• Protagonist

• Antagonist

• Foil

• Bad guy

Answer questions 1-21 that pertain to literary terms. 

Feeling Blue? Play Some Music                  Everyone experiences bad moods now and then, some more than others. But help may be on the way. In recent studies, scientists have found that music can improve people’s moods. One study conducted by the University of Maryland showed that listening to a type of classical music called baroque helped improved the moods of medical workers who study images of people’s organs and bones. It also helped the medical workers feel greater satisfaction with their work.                  But not only classical music helps people feel better. In fact, a Penn State University study of college students showed that any kind of music the students listened to helped produce more positive emotions, such as joy, affection, and calm.                  How can you help yourself with music? Try a music-listening diary, as did the students in the Penn State study. Before you listen to music, record how you are feeling. Then get your radio or MP3 player and turn on your favorite kind of music. The college students most often listened to rock music, but you can choose any kind. Next, do whatever activity you would normally do while listening to music. For example, the college participants studied, exercised, and socialized. After listening to the music, write down how long you listened and how you feel now. Keep the diary for a couple of weeks, and find out if music really does make a difference.  

A Little Can Go a Long Way                  In a village in Uganda, a woman named Fatima Serwona ran a small store. She sold food and other useful items. However, she had trouble making enough money to keep the shelves stocked. To stay in business, Fatima got a microfinance loan – a small sum of money from a person in another country. It was just enough for her to buy a cell phone. She let villagers make calls using her phone and charged them a small fee for each call. This helped her make enough money to keep her shelves stocked with items. Fatima then used the money to send her children to school and improve their lives, as well as her own.                  Microfinance is the practice of giving small loans to people in need. Most microfinance loans are for less than $200. The loans are used to start or expand a small business, such as catching fish, raising chickens, weaving, or selling produce. Lenders are willing to make these loans because most of the people who receive them are very likely to repay the loans.                  Microfinance loans are important for several reasons. The businesses that these loans support often provide needed services or goods to their communities. Also, many of the people who received microfinance loans cannot get money any other way. And although they have to pay a high rate of interest on the money they borrow, the rate is lower than if they borrowed from a local moneylender.                  It doesn’t seem like a such a small amount of money could make a big difference, but microfinance loans have been shown to help improve individual lives and revitalize whole communities like Fatima’s. 

Dog Smarts                  All dog owners think their dog is the smartest, but researches have determined that the most intelligent dog breeds based on more objective measures – a dog’s ability to learn, solve problems, and obey commands. According to scientists, the ten most intelligent breeds of dog obey a command 95 percent of the time and require fewer than five repetitions of a new command to learn it.                  A dog’s intelligence is not necessarily affected by what the dog is bred to do. The tenth-smartest dog is the Australian cattle dog, which, as its name suggests, is used to herd cattle. In ninth place is the Rottweiler, originally used in Germany to pull carts. Today, it makes an excellent guard dog. The golden retriever, fourth, is very popular around the world as a hunting dog and a companion.                  The most intelligent breed of dog is the border collie, which excels at doing jobs and following commands. This dog, like the Australian cattle dog, was bred to herd sheep. Border collies must be able to listen closely and pay attention to their owners’ commands. One border collie named Betsy understands more than 300 words. She is able to learn a new command as fast as a human toddler and is more intelligent than most of the great apes.                  At the other end of the scale, the Afghan hound is considered the least intelligent dog. However, it’s very likely that Afghan owners would disagree with this ranking.

Cinder Cones and Stratovolcanoes                  What do you think of when you hear the word volcano? Most likely, you get a picture in your mind of a stratovolcano. Shaped like a cone with a crater at the top, stratovolcanoes are characterized by violent, explosive eruptions. Huge quantities of hot gases, ash, and rocks explode into the air. Lava rushes down the volcano’s sides. These eruptions come from one or more vents, or “chimneys,” inside the volcano. Stratovolcanoes are sometimes called composite volcanoes because they are built up, layer on layer, by repeated eruptions of ash and lava over hundreds of years. They can rise more than 8,000 feet from their base. Some of the world’s most spectacular mountains are actually stratovolcanoes.                  Another kind of volcano is the cinder cone. Like stratovolcanoes, cinder cones are cone-shaped. They often have a crater at the top. Cinder cones, however, are tiny compared to stratovolcanoes. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, they are “built from particles and blobs of congealed lava ejected from a single vent or chimney.” As the gas-charged lava shoots into the air, it breaks into small pieces. These small pieces quickly become solid and fall to the ground as cinders. As more cinders erupt from the vent, they fall on top of one another. Gradually, the cone-shaped mound of volcanic rocks grows taller. Once all the gases have escaped and eruptions cease, lava may continue to flow out of the vent and down the sides of the cone. Cinder cones usually build up over a period of several months to a few years, but they seldom grow to more than 1,000 feet tall.

For questions 38-42, determine whether each statement is a fact or opinion. 

For questions 22-37, read the following passages and answer the questions that pertain.