Part 1: Text Details and Context Clues in an Informational Text (Quiz)

Read the excerpt from "Benin Plaque: The Oba with Europeans" and consider the accompanying photo. There are several hundred Benin plaques now in European and American museums, and they offer us a remarkable picture of the structure of this West African kingdom. Their main subject is the glorification of the Oba and of his prowess as a hunter and soldier, but they also tell us how the people of Benin saw their first European trading partners. Which statement best describes how the image reinforces the text?

The image adds interest to the text by offering a glimpse of the plaques. The image tells a story about a day in the life of Benin culture. wrong C. The photograph supports the description of the Oba's role in society. The photograph engages the reader by revealing minute artistic detail.

Which sentence best establishes visual details?

The paintings were on display for seven months at the local museum. A local artist created the paintings to celebrate the town's history. wrong C. The museum charges five dollars for adult admission to the historic display. Each painting is a towering portrait of a town founder depicted in bold acrylic.

Read the excerpt from "Ship's Chronometer from HMS Beagle." As a maritime nation, the British were concerned with one problem in particular: they could make clocks that kept very good time as long as they stayed perfectly still but not when they were shaken about, and particularly not on board a rolling ship. If you wanted to sail, it was impossible to keep a precise record of time. Based on the context clues, what is the meaning of the word maritime in the passage?

bordering the sea; nautical over-scheduled characterized by calm; restful wrong accurate or specific

What type of context clue offers a word with the same meaning as an unfamiliar word?

definition explanation wrong C. antonym synonym

Read the excerpt from "Benin Plaque: The Oba with Europeans." Whatever the real facts, the British, in ostensible revenge for the killing, organized a punitive expedition which raided Benin City, exiled the Oba and created the protectorate of Southern Nigeria. Based on the context clues, what is the meaning of the word punitive in the passage?

designed to inflict punishment

Read the paragraph. Preparation is the key to success when hiking. Hikers must research weather conditions and wear appropriate layers of clothing to avoid discomfort. Also, hikers must chart their course to confirm the availability of suitable trails. When packing, hike participants should select ample food and water for their adventure. Finally, phones and other communication devices should be charged and ready for emergencies. What is the purpose of the details in the paragraph?

to develop the central idea of hiking preparedness

Read the excerpt from "Ship's Chronometer from HMS Beagle." Just as people adopted a common standard time, so numerous aspects of working and daily life were becoming rigidly fixed by the clock, from clocking on at work to school hours and tea-time - which is the subject of our next chapter. What context clue best helps readers determine the meaning of the word standard?

"rigidly fixed"

Read the excerpt from "Ship's Chronometer from HMS Beagle." Our object is one of those lower-cost chronometers, made in 1800 by Thomas Earnshaw. It is made of brass and is around the size of a large pocket watch, with a normal clock dial showing roman numerals and a smaller dial at the bottom for the second hand. The clock is suspended inside a swivelling brass ring fitted to the inside of a wooden box - this is the key to keeping the chronometer level even in an unsteady ship. Which details from the excerpt help readers visualize the chronometer? Check all that apply.

- "around the size of a large pocket watch" - "with a normal clock dial showing roman numerals" - "suspended inside a swivelling brass ring"

Read the excerpt from "Benin Plaque: The Oba with Europeans." Many wild theories were put forward. It was thought that the plaques must have come from ancient Egypt, or perhaps that the people of Benin were one of the lost tribes of Israel. Or the sculptures must have derived from European influence (after all, these were the contemporaries of Michelangelo, Donatello and Cellini). But research quickly established that the Benin plaques were entirely West African creations, made without European influence. The Europeans had to revisit, and to overhaul, their assumptions of easy cultural superiority. Which central idea is best supported by the details in the excerpt?

A. Europeans believed that the Benin plaques were inferior to European art. B. The Benin plaques challenged Europeans' beliefs about West Africa. C. The Benin plaques were copied by many famous European artists. wrong D. Europeans traveled to West Africa to purchase more Benin plaques.

Read the excerpt from "Benin Plaque: The Oba with Europeans." These were enormous and belief-shattering ideas for many people in the nineteenth century, but time was also changing in a much more day-to-day, or rather hour-to-hour, way. Thanks to clockmakers like Earnshaw, precise and reliable clocks and watches became ever more affordable. Before long the whole of Britain was running by the clock, and the measurement of time had been severed from the natural cycle of days and seasons. The clock ruled every aspect of life - shops and schools, pleasure and work. As Charles Dickens wrote, 'There was even railway time observed in clocks, as if the sun itself had given in.' Which central idea is best supported by the details in the excerpt?

As more people began to own clocks, society embraced standardized time.