English 12A

Which response most accurately states the definition of theme?

A story's theme is the central message or universal truth that the author conveys through the characters and plot.

Read the sentence. Deep in conversation, Mark and Jesse meandered down the road. Which response most clearly distinguishes the denotative and connotative meanings of the word meandered in this sentence?

Meandered has a denotation of "walked," and has a connotation of relaxation, showing that the boys are more focused on the conversation than on where they are going.

Which response most clearly explains the purpose of pacing within a work of fiction?

Pacing allows the author to speed up or slow down the narrative, which helps direct the reader's attention to certain elements of the plot and create suspense.

Read the stanza from Pablo Neruda's poem "Don't Go Far Off." Don't leave me, even for an hour, because then the little drops of anguish will all run together, the smoke that roams looking for a home will drift into me, choking my lost heart. Which option most effectively explains the implicit meaning of this stanza?

The speaker is deeply in love and feels as though his lover's potential absence will cause him pain and suffering.

Which response most clearly explains the difference in part of speech between digress and digressions?

The verb digress, meaning "to stray off topic," is changed to the plural noun digressions by the addition of the suffixes -ion and -s.

Which response most accurately defines the narrative text structure element of flashback?

a scene or memory of the past, presented out of chronological order, that provides background information

Read the paragraph. Upon visiting Croatia, Anabelle was impressed with its bountiful natural resources. She had a relaxing time on its multiple beautiful beaches and ate copious amounts of fresh produce from its fertile fruit orchards and vegetable gardens. Which words used in this paragraph are evidence that provides context clues that help define the word bountiful? (Select all that apply.)

copious multiple fertile

Which option provides an accurate definition of the term explicit?

directly stated

Read the sentence and then use a print or digital thesaurus to look up the word credulous. The credulous audience believed all the magician's tricks were real. Which synonym most accurately conveys the meaning of the word credulous?

trusting

Read the passage. Anthony sprinted from the parking lot, tightening his tie as he ran. Here he was, about to have his first job interview, and he was late! He pushed open the door and almost dashed through. However, he saw a man appear at the corner. The man had white hair and was walking with a cane. Anthony knew the seconds were ticking by, and he was getting later and later, but he felt bad thinking of letting the door close before the man reached it. Trying not to check his watch, he opened the door wide and waited while the man walked slowly through. Anthony speed-walked through the office, around a corner, and toward the receptionist. She smiled when he introduced himself and said, "Welcome. Your interviewer, Mr. Bryce, is a few minutes late himself. He should be here in a moment." Just then, the white-haired man walked around the corner. The receptionist said, "Oh, good morning, Mr. Bryce!" Mr. Bryce smiled at her and said to Anthony, "You must be Anthony. I noticed you were so considerate earlier, when you held the door for me. You're certainly making a good first impression. Let's begin your interview." Which responses most effectively identify a theme of this short story? (Select all that apply.)

A theme of this short story is that you should always choose to behave with courtesy because you never know how someone you encounter might be involved in your future. A theme of this short story is that if you put people's needs ahead of your own, others will take notice and will respect you for your compassionate behavior.

Read the passage. "Walk two blocks south—" began Megan, but Chantelle cut in. "Actually, it's two blocks north," said Chantelle. "Hey, stop interrupting!" said Megan. "I was interjecting," answered Chantelle. Which response most accurately explains why Chantelle said she was interjecting, rather than interrupting? Interjecting and interrupting have similar connotations, but interjecting has a denotation of speaking at a soft volume.

Meandered has a denotation of "walked," and has a connotation of relaxation, showing that the boys are more focused on the conversation than on where they are going.

Which response most clearly explains how seeing a written story performed as a play will be different from seeing it as an animated movie? (Select all that apply.) The play will show the physical strength of the characters, while the animated movie will tell the entire story in chronological sequence from start to finish. The play will use stage directions and the actors' interpretations to portray the story's events, while the animated movie will depict the same events through drawn or computer-generated images.

The play will use human performances and responses from the audience to create a new experience with each performance, while the animated movie will present an identical performance each time it is viewed. The play will use stage directions and the actors' interpretations to portray the story's events, while the animated movie will depict the same events through drawn or computer-generated images.

Read the sentence. After she gave the lecture on molecular geometry, Dr. Jones realized that she would have to expound on the subject at greater length because the students looked confused and gave blank stares when she asked if there were any questions. What is the meaning of the word expound as it is used in the sentence?

to explain in detail

Which option most accurately defines framing?

a literary technique that places one story inside another story

Read the sentence and then use a print or digital dictionary to look up the word allusion. The presidential candidate made several literary allusions in her speech, which illustrated her point nicely. Which option provides the most accurate definition for the word allusion?

a short reference to a well-known person, event, or object

Which response most clearly explains how to change the noun peril, meaning "danger," to an adjective meaning "dangerous"?

Add the suffix -ous to create the adjective perilous.

In which formats are works of literature most often presented? (Select all that apply.)\

poetry plays prose

Which options are the names of narrative elements? (Select all that apply.)

tone characters setting