Unit One Test Corrections

Poll

Why are tests so hard?

• I don't understand the questions.

• The vocabulary

• The passages

• It's hard to focus

• Other.

​Sometimes multiple choice questions are asking more than one thing . . .

When that happens, reword the question by breaking it into parts--
1. What's the simile?
2. What's it comparing?
3. What does that comparison show?

Unit 1 Test Corrections

The points you get are based on how detailed your explanations are. I give you the right answer, and you need to write one sentence explaining why your answer was wrong and why the correct answer was correct.

Question 1: B is correct because it is. C isn't correct because it's wrong.

No Points

Question 1: Answer B is correct because it compares the air to cold water and "crisp" describes that cold feeling. I answered C, and that is not correct because the purpose of the comparison is not to show the time of day but to show how Cassie feels.

Full Points

Examples

Question #1 What does the simile in line 4 of paragraph 8 help the reader understand about the setting of the passage?

The correct answer is B - "the morning air is crisp."

• "Fran was drawing up Pet’s cinch in the stable yard. Stars were fading in the east as the sky lightened over the Blue Mountains. The autumn air smelled of sage and juniper scrub. My lungs sucked it in like cold water."

• What two things are being compared?

• "Crisp" in this context means cool and fresh

Question #2 In lines 1 through 4 of paragraph 14, what mood is created by the use of words and phrases such as “screech,”

“snapped,” “rearing up,” and “high alarm”?

The correct answer is C - "panic"

• What are the emotions tied to these words?

• How do these emotions relate to the events of the passage?

• “Screech” connotes a negative, unappealing sound that is harsh and shrill and may be emitted in fear and/or surprise. In the context of this passage, “snapped” suggests a sudden movement. “Rearing up” describes a horse’s fearful or stressed response, and “high alarm” describes strong fear.

Question #3 Which excerpt confirms the theme of Cassie as a reluctant hero?

The correct answer is B - "“In my mind I heard a plank fence splinter and smelled Cyrus’s angry stink. I shivered, but there really was no choice.” (lines 1 and 2 of paragraph 16)"

• A reluctant hero means someone who acts like a hero even when they don't want to.

• How do you see Cassie acting reluctantly (not wanting to do something) in answer B?

Question #4 Which incident most helps develop the theme that even a frightened person can be brave when necessary?

The correct answer is B - "Cassie slaps Cyrus on the rump to get his attention."

• How does B show Cassie's bravery more than the other examples?

Question #5 The author mainly increases tension in the passage by

The correct answer is A - "by revealing Cassie's inexperience and emphasizing Cyrus's power."

• Does Cassie actually struggle to ride Cyrus?

• How much of the story is focused on Cassie's lack of experience vs. riding Cyrus?

Question #6 Fran’s behavior toward Cassie adds suspense to the passage by

The correct answer is A - "causing the reader to question Cassie’s ability to help complete the job"

• What does Fran think about Cassie's ability to control the buffalo?

• How does questioning Cassie's ability to complete the job add suspense?

Question #7 Based on the first two lines, what can be inferred about the speaker’s experience with dreams?

The correct answer is A - "It has been agonizing."

• Many of you missed this one due to vocabulary.

• "Agonizing" means painful; "Ecstatic" means very excited; "Amusing" means entertaining.

Question #8 In the last stanza, who is “he” referring to?

The correct answer is B - "the poet's dreams."

• A stanza in a poem is like a paragraph in a story.

• "But when he nestles in your hand at last / Close up your fingers and hold him tight at last"

• Hint: replace "he" with each of the options

Question #9 What is the purpose of the dashes in line 32?

The correct answer is C - "to provide an added emphasis."

• You have to find line 30 and go down 2 lines to find line 32

• What are the dashes emphasizing?

Question #10 Select the sentence(s) that use common and proper nouns correctly. 

The correct answers were A & C - "A baby named Karla began life in slavery in the United States" and "Many home builders go to Supplies and Stuff, a store located in Minneapolis, MN."

• Apparently you don't actually capitalize the "the" in titles. Sorry.

• Why are some words capitalized and some aren't?