Reading Comprehension & Context Clues: Halloween Edition

Reading Comprehension & Context Clues: Halloween Edition

Multiple Choice

The "main idea" of the passage is best summarized...

• Samhain was an extremely important holiday to people from ancient Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Britain and much of Europe.

• Modern Halloween celebrations are unrecognizable to the ancient traditions.

• Many of the traditions associated with Halloween have their roots in rituals practiced by the Celtic people.

• Not as many people would celebrate Halloween if they knew about its pagan origins.

When looking for the "Main idea" of a passage...

• The title usually provides a good hint about what the "Main idea" might be

• The beginning and/or the end of the passage will usually relate to the main idea.

• How often something is mentioned or referred to in the text will also matter- if the author only speaks about it once, it's probably not the main idea.

Multiple Choice

The purpose of the image in the article is mainly to…

• Show the difference between ancient Jack-o’-Lanterns and modern ones.

• Inform us about the resources available to Celts in the 1st century.

• Highlight the similarities between ancient turnip lanterns and modern Jack-o’-Lanterns.

• Indicate how far artistic ability has come since ancient times.

Images, charts or graphs will often be asked about in non-fictional texts...

• Make sure you read the caption under any images or charts provided.

• Pay attention to what section of the passage the image is tied to, this will help intuit its purpose.

Multiple Choice

In the line, "Likely, the smoke also served a practical purpose for cattle owners", "practical" most nearly means...

• Useful

• Clever

• Traditional

• Simple

When asked to define a word in context...

• Don't just pick the first choice that matches the definition of the word!

• Look for context clues not just in the sentence, but in the preceding and following sentences as well.

• Use the "substitution" method to see which word fits best.

Multiple Choice

The article most strongly suggests that the purpose of the Celts’ Samhain celebrations was to...

• Predict what fortune would befall them in the coming months and years.

• Send Samhain, the lord of death, back to the underworld so the sun god could return.

• Revel in the spirit of warmth and community in preparation for a long and uncertain winter.

• Honor and interact with the world of the dead in various ways.

Pay careful attention to the wording of questions , only answer *exactly* what the question asks for...

• The previous question asks about the purpose of the Celt's Samhain celebration, so keep the focus on that idea.

• Sometimes the general answer that applies to the passage as a whole will be different from the more specific answer they've asked for.

Multiple Choice

Which line provides the best evidence for the previous answer?

• “Every winter, he became locked in a six-month struggle with Bael, the sun god.”

• “The opening of the barrier between worlds used to allow people to reflect on deceased loved ones.”

• “With the new year came new predictions for the future.”

• “Around the bonfires, dancing and feasts took place as people celebrated the season of darkness.”