MULTIPLE CHOICE

READING STRATEGIESTYPES OF QUESTIONS

STRATEGIES FOR SOLVING

READING STRATEGIES:

•Understand both surface & deeper-level meanings•Determine how the following contribute to meaning:

• Structural patterns •Grammatical & syntactical relationships•Metaphorical language, etc.

•Describe how such features function rhetorically•Multiple choice is textual analysis-Use same strategies for writing

The Exam

• Passages are from17th C to Present

• Usually 4 sets of questions(4 passages)

• Balance of genre, time period,& individual style

GENERAL STRATEGIES• Bracket by reading the questions first and

bracketing the corresponding section for each question

• Before reading the answer choices jot down your initial response to the question then select the answer choice that best matches your response.

• Questions are not in order of difficulty, so answer easy ones first

• Questions USUALLY (but not always) follow the order of the passage.

GENERAL STRATEGIESProcess of Elimination—This is the primary tool, except for direct knowledge of the answer.1.Read the five choices.2.If no choice immediately strikes you as correct, you can — eliminate any which are obviously wrong; — eliminate those choices which are too narrow or too broad; — eliminate illogical choices; — eliminate answers which are synonymous; — eliminate answers which cancel each other out.3.If two answers are close,

— find the one general enough to contain all aspects of the question

OR— find the one limited enough to be the detail the

question is seeking. 

GENERAL STRATEGIESSubstitution/Fill in the Blank1.Rephrase the question, leaving a blank where the answer should go.2.Use each of the choices to fill in the blank until you find the one that is the best fi t.

Using Context1.Use this technique when the question directs you to specific lines, words, or phrases.2.Locate the given word, phrase, or sentence and read the sentence before and after the section of the text to which the question refers. Often this provides the information or clues you need to make your choice.

GENERAL STRATEGIESAnticipation•As you read the passage for the first time, mark any details and ideas that you would ask a question about. You may second-guess the test makers this way.

Intuition/The Educated Guess•You have a wealth of skills and knowledge in your language and composition subconscious. A question or a choice may trigger a “remembrance of things past.” This can be the basis for your educated guess. Have the confidence to use the educated guess as a valid technique. Trust your own resources.

A Survival PlanIf time is running out and you haven't finished the last selection,1. Scan the remaining questions and look for:

- the shortest questions; and/or- the questions that point you to a lineThese two types of questions are relatively easy to work

with and to verify.2. Look for specific detail/definition questions.3. Look for self-contained questions. Ex: "The jail sentence was a bitter winter for his plan" is an example of -- C. an analogy.

You did not have to go to the passage to answer this question

M/C Question Analyses/ProtocolsThe following slides illustrate the following:• Strategies for determining the SKILL needed to answer a M/C question• Strategies for ELIMINATING WRONG ANSWER choices• Strategies for SELECTING THE CORRECT RESPONSE

In essence, what follows are several examples of the type and depth of thinking that SHOULD be evident in Protocols. Read through them then follow the directions on the last slide.

M/C Question Analysis “Death of a Moth”

from Holy the Firm

byAnnie Dillard

1. All of the following are present in the opening sentence EXCEPT:

a. subordinate clausesb. an objective tonec. elements in a seriesd. a typical narrative openinge. more verbs than nouns or adjectives

This is a FACTUAL question.

The answers address:-grammar

-tone-syntax/organization-mode/organization

-parts of speech

Factual questions areeither

RIGHT or WRONG!Info is IN TEXT.

The correct answer is “A”

• STRATEGY: -Reread the opening sentence, as question is about that sentence only

Choice a., subordinate clause, can immediately be eliminated.Since the question is for EXCEPT, check the remaining items quickly to ensure they all fit.

Answer b., objective tone, fits. The first sentence has no emotional content or subjective information. “I” begins in the second sentence.

Answer c., elements in a series, fits also. A series of verbs is listed: “flew”, “caught”, “burnt”, and “held”.

Answer d., a typical narrative opening, also fits.Narrative uses attention getting techniques and tells a story. The sentence definitely arouses curiosity and tells a story.

Finally, answer e., more verbs than nouns or adjectives also fits.The series is a list of verbs. In fact, there are no adjectives except “one”.

2. The “fried” in line 8 derives force from which of the following?

I. Its commonplace associationsII. Its location in the sentenceIII. Its alliterative associations with the verbs that precede it

a. II; b. I & II ; c. I & III ; d. II & III ; e. I, II, & III

This question asks about DICTION.These type of I, II, or III questions may be time consuming.

STRATEGY: Decide if you can answer the question based on the stem: if not, make an educated guess.

This question is about diction, which you can probably figure out: Take the time to answer it.

STRATEGY:Reread line 8.Apply each choice to the selection -

First: Its commonplace associations:

Yes. Fried immediately conjures a sound, and heat, and something that if alive, is no longer. It’s forceful.

I is likely part of the answer.

Next: Its location in the sentence.

“Fried” is the last verb. It creates a strong image due to its finality.

II is in as well.

Now III: Its alliterative associations with the verbs that precede it.

Absolutely. Not only is it rhythmic (a triad) but it has cadence.

III is also in.

Go back to the question and find the letter of all 3 choices: “E” is the correct answer.

3. The objects of the verb “creating” (line 10) combine to form an impression of

a. familiar reality imposed on an unfamiliar localb. sudden color in a formerly monochromatic scenec. miraculous isolation in a hostile environmentd. ominous fragility in a threatening episodee. supernatural inspiration of creative thought

This is a grammatical question and a rhetorical question: what is the effect of the objects of the verb?

STRATEGY:-Reread line 10-Identify the objects of the verb: “blue sleeves”, “green leaves”, “red trunk”

All the objects involve color.

“B” involves color.

Try to quickly eliminate the remaining answers before choosing “B”.

A. - Eliminate. It’s not an unfamiliar locale.

C. While the sudden burst of visuals in the previous darkness may be interesting, it is not described as ‘miraculous’, nor are the pine and leaves described as “hostile”. Eliminate.

D. The death of the moth is perhaps highlighting the moth’s fragility, and the fragility of life, but it is not “ominous” or “threatening”.Eliminate.

E. No hint of the “supernatural” or of “inspiration” in this section.Eliminate and choose “B” as the correct answer.

Remember: All that elimination needs

to be donein a few

seconds!!!

4. The phrase “gone the long way of her wings and legs” (line 22) emphasizes the

a. unusual proportions of the mothb. unexpected course of the moth’s deathc. irrevocable disappearance of the moth’s headd. rapidity with which the fire consumed the mothe. foulness of the lingering smoke and burned head.

This question addresses rhetoric (and comprehension).

STRATEGY:Reread line 22.Use the process of elimination if you cannot determine the correct answer right away.

A. & E. Can be eliminated almost immediately, as proportions are not discussed, and no foulness is indicated.

B. The death itself is not unexpected; perhaps the head going last is, but the passage doesn’t emphasize the unexpectedness.

Eliminate

C. The head is GONE: this answer has potential. Quickly check D before selecting.

Circle the answer in your test booklet as you check the last two answers.

D. The death may have been rapid, but the description is detailed and methodical, indicating a kind of suspension of time, not “rapidity”.

Eliminate.

C. Is the best choice.

5. All of the following are true of the sentence “She kept burning” (lines 30-31) EXCEPT:a. its brevity makes it emphatic

b. in context, its tone is one of awed fascinationc. in context, the word “burning” means “avenging”d. the feminine pronoun links the image to the specificity of the previous paragraphe. the feminine pronoun humanizes the moth, in preparation for references to martyrs

Type of question: rhetorical function of a sentence.

Strategy:-Reread lines 30-31-Eliminate-D & E require reading before & after sentence to place in context

Glance through the choices to see if one appears less likely than the others.

All choices seem logical, but “C” has an odd connotation or perhaps inappropriate meaning for “burning” - check “C” first.

“Avenging” doesn’t make sense in this context.

Choice “C” also focuses on diction, and the question asks about a sentence.

Choices “E” & “D” require reading backwards and forwards to determine their correctness - and because this is an EXCEPT question, if the answer is correct, it’s not the right answer. (!)

“D” & “E” are correct.The meaning progresses from objective detail in the preceding paragraph to metaphorical meaning after this sentence.

“A” is correct: a short sentence creates emphasis.

“B” is also correct. How do you know the author is using a tone of “awed fascination”?

This question requires not only a careful reading of the sentence the question asks about, but also the immediate context AND the larger context of the passage.

C is the correct answer.

6. Which of the following best describes the rhetorical development of the passage as a whole?

a. progress from exposition to argumentb. development from hypothesis to proofc. transition from sympathetic narrative to objective descriptiond. expansion from descriptive narration to poetic meditatione. movement from contemplative rumination to active participation

This question asks about RHETORICAL MODE.

What are rhetorical modes?

-narration-description-exposition

-comparison-argument

etc.

STRATEGY:First, eliminate the answers that are not rhetorical modes.

“B” & “E” are not rhetorical modes.B is scientific nomenclatureE is philosophical

If you grasped this passage, you shouldn’t have to look back to answer this question.

“A” should immediately be ruled out, as there is no argument in the passage.

Recalling the question about the first sentence should help to rule out C. There is no “sympathy” in the narrative.

D is correct. This question reflects your ability to grasp the meaning and the movement of the passage as a whole.

Now you try: • Select 2 questions between #s 7-12

that you missed

• Complete a thorough, reflective, analytical and in-depth protocol for each

• Use the models in you r AP Resource Packet as guides as well as the model thinking illustrated in this PowerPoint