3Rdd Nine Weeks' Test Preview Packet Marrocco – ELA (6Th) Test Taking
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3rdd Nine Weeks’ Test Preview Packet Marrocco – ELA (6th) Test taking strategy: PRIDE P – Preview – read, the title, and preview the questions, predict, read for enjoyment R -- Read the story/poem I -- Investigate the question/answer choices (write on test as needed) D -- Determine – choose answer E -- Evaluate your answer Context Clues - Use the word/words around an unknown word to determine the meaning. Tools – Use resources available to you to determine the correct meaning of a word (i.e. context clues, dictionary definition references, etc.) EXAMPLES: (using words in sentence and using a dictionary entry) #1 - Your ideas do not make any sense. They are absolutely LUDICROUS. What is the meaning of the word LUDICROUS? a. calm b. silly c. passionate d. same # 2 - People have been interested in diving for centuries. As early as the 17th century, inventors tried to find ways that divers could stay underwater for long periods of time. During that time, air was supplied to the diver through a long tube on the surface. In the 19th century, a waterproof suit was developed. Air was pumped to a helmet from a tube on the surface. The diver had to remain upright. A fall could cause the diver to drown because air would escape through the vents. Later in the nineteenth century, Augustus Siebe developed the closed type of diving suit. Variations of the suit are still used today. This suit had valves that let air out without letting water in regardless of the diver’s position. However, it wasn’t until 1943 that the compressed air apparatus was developed. It has been used ever since. Read the dictionary entry below: compress - 1. to press or squeeze together 2. to reduce in size 3. a folded cloth or pad applied to press upon a body part 4. a machine for pressing Which definition of the word compressed is used in paragraph 2? A) Definition 1 B) Definition 2 C) Definition 3 D) Definition 4 INFERENCES/DRAWING CONCLUSIONS - Use what you have read AND what you know to determine the best answer. If it is explicitly stated in the story/poem and you can find the answer, than it is NOT inferred nor concluded. You must be able to do this across any type of text (poem, short story, fiction, non-fiction, etc.) EXAMPLE You may wonder how the Japanese tsunami compares with other tsunamis. Final death tolls and property damage may not be known for some time. The chart below gives information about five other tsunamis in various parts of the world. To date, these are the deadliest tsunamis in history. Scientists continue to study tsunamis, their causes and effects in an effort to perfect an early warning system that can save lives and property. After reading the last sentence, the reader can infer that -- F. scientists have no early warning system G. scientists plan to create a warning system H. scientists have created the perfect early warning system J. scientists would like to improve the existing warning system AUTHOR’S ORGINIZATIONAL PATTERN - Why does the author use certain organization of text? i.e. instructions, find problem, find solution, directions, etc. Provides focus and direction as the writer composes the document; Increases the ease with which one can understand and remember the information Chronological Compare and Contrast Order of Importance Sequence Spatial Cause and Effect Problem and Solution FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE – Explain how the author’s use of personification, metaphors, etc. contribute the poem’s or short stories’ meanings. EXAMPLES Alright, the sky misses the sun at night. – PERSONIFICATION The sunlight danced. - PERSONIFICATION The metal twisted like a ribbon. – SIMILE She is as sweet as candy. - SIMILE All the world is a stage. - METAPHOR Her heart is stone. – METAPHOR My house is a million miles away. – HYPERBOLE She would kill me if I told you. - HYPERBOLE TEXT EVIDENCE to SUPPORT an ANSWER In March of 2014, a Malaysian airplane disappeared. Authorities believed that it had crashed in the Indian Ocean. Searches continued for weeks. Why was it so difficult to find something under the ocean? What really lies beneath the ocean? The obvious answer is that fish and plants lie beneath the waves. A ten-year study was recently published in the journal, “PLoS ONE”. The study found that 33,000 known species of marine life are found near Australia and Japan. Crustaceans, such as crabs, lobsters and shrimp make up one-fifth of sea life. Mollusks, such as squid, snails and octopi make up 17 per cent of sea life. Fish make up 12 percent. Plant life and coral, which is actually a spineless animal, occupy much of the ocean as well. In some oceans, coral, which feeds on algae, forms great reefs. Other species of coral can survive deep in the ocean waters. There are other things in the ocean, too. Some of them are manmade. Unfortunately, some parts of various oceans are polluted with oil, runoff waste, trash or debris from heavy rain or floods. Plastic bottles and aluminum cans float in the waves and signal danger for marine animals. Plastic decomposes slowly and can block the breathing passages of animals such as dolphins, whales, seals, puffins and turtles. All kinds of wreckage can be found under the waves. Numerous boats, ships and planes have gone to rest on or beneath the water. Old wreckage can complicate the search for new wreckage. Why is it so hard to locate wreckage in the ocean? First, some oceans are millions of miles wide. The glassy waves and wind can make spotting items difficult. Staring out at the rolling waves can cause your eyes and brain to play tricks on you. Additionally, the tides can push items miles from where they were expected to land. The loss of planes and boats reminds us that the ocean is a vast, living organism. It also reminds us of the importance that the sea plays in our lives and that we should never stop learning about it. Fortunately, scientists discover more every day and rescuers keep searching. 3. What evidence does the author give to support the statement below? It is hard to locate wreckage in the ocean. A. Plants and animals live in the ocean. B. Many of the items in the ocean are manmade. C. Malaysian authorities searched for the plane. D. The ocean is millions of miles wide. AUTHOR’s PURPOSE Authors write for many different reasons. Those reasons are called the author's purpose. Depending on the purpose, authors may choose all different sorts of writing formats, genres, and vernacular. A simple trick to summarize the three main categories of author's purpose is to use the acronym PIE, which stands for persuade, inform, and entertain. Water! Water! Who doesn't love a waterpark? Barreling down waterslides and floating lazily down the river are the stuff summer vacations are made of. However, more and more Texas cities are experiencing drought conditions. Water restrictions have forced many families to stop watering their yards and washing their cars. Does that mean that waterparks will soon be obsolete? The average waterpark uses hundreds and thousands of gallons of water every day. Lush green lawns and decorative fountains contribute to the massive water use. How can they continue to operate in a water-starved world? Waterparks don't have to be on their way out if they learn to reuse and recycle water. Schlitterbahn Waterpark, located both in New Braunfels and Corpus Christi, has found many creative ways to conserve water. The river, which circles through the park and provides a ride from one attraction to the next, is fed by a series of underground pumps. The same water cycles through the river over and over. Schlitterbahn is also covered by a natural canopy that keeps the park cooler. As the warm air from the ground meets the cooler air in the canopy, condensation forms. Sometimes it actually rains! The condensation is used to water the drought-stricken plants in the park. The rides in the park use a loop system. The water runs in a continuous loop and is filtered as it flows. The owners of Schlitterbahn feel strongly about water conservation. Every employee is carefully trained in conservation techniques. Maintenance personnel respond immediately to the first sign of a leak. Pumps are maintained and checked regularly. Sea World is also a leader in water conservation. Excess ice chips are used to help the cooling system work more efficiently. The condensation from the air conditioning is used to water plants. Plants are also hand-watered to use water more efficiently. As water becomes increasingly scarce, all Texans have to be aware of each precious drop. But, with forward thinking and creative solutions, perhaps everyone can continue to enjoy waterparks. What was the author's main purpose in writing this selection? A. To explain the efforts water parks are making to reduce the water shortage problem B. To encourage Texans to conserve water C. To persuade families to go to these water parks D. To explain why Texas cities are experiencing a drought CONNECTING TEXT (comparing and contrasting) – using author’s point of view, mood, tone, setting, purpose Types of text – Analyze both types of text to be able to identify literary language of characteristics of various text types/genres. EXAMPLES – poems, short stories, news articles, diary entries, fiction, non-fiction, biography, fiction, informational, etc. Text connections – Analyze two different types of text and be able to identify thematic links, author analysis between and across multiple genres. EXAMPLE Generally, students start by making text-to-text connections to more obvious elements of stories, such as characters or problems.