Theme

Reading Comprehension

Practice Theme and Tone

Theme

Topic + Argument = Theme

Topic is what the passage is about. The title of the passage can sometimes give us an indication of the topic.

Argument is what the author thinks about that topic. ​

Reading Comprehension

Multiple Select

Where is a good place to find the theme? Select all that apply.

• The Conclusion

• The Introduction

• Topic Sentences

• Evidence in the Body Paragraphs

Multiple Choice

What is the topic of this paragraph?

I'll never forget when she sat down at my desk behind me. It was already October, the second month of school, so I was surprised to see a new kid. We had assigned seats for homeroom, of course, so she was taking Alex's spot. I began to turn around to inform her of her mistake, but then I recalled my own experiences changing schools in the middle of seventh grade. Adults were there to facilitate the acclimation process: I decided to let Mrs. Lupton deal with it.

• Homeroom rules and procedures.

• Alex's experiences as a new kid in 7th grade.

• A new kid joins Alex's homeroom

• Mrs. Lupton is a hard teacher

Multiple Choice

What is the argument of this paragraph?

I'll never forget when she sat down at my desk behind me. It was already October, the second month of school, so I was surprised to see a new kid. We had assigned seats for homeroom, of course, so she was taking Alex's spot. I began to turn around to inform her of her mistake, but then I recalled my own experiences changing schools in the middle of seventh grade. Adults were there to facilitate the acclimation process: I decided to let Mrs. Lupton deal with it.

• It is not Alex's place to tell the new kid what to do.

• Alex's experiences as a new kid in 7th grade.

• New kids never know what to do.

• Mrs. Lupton is a hard teacher

Topic + Argument

Topic: There is a new kid in Alex's homeroom

Argument: But it is not Alex's place to tell the new kid what to do and make them feel uncomfortable

​

Theme: It is better to let adults acclimate the new student to the class, rather than Alex embarrassing her. ​

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

​Mood and Tone

Reading Comprehension

Descriptions of characters and actions

​Tone

Descriptions of setting

Mood

​Tone can be Negative, Neutral, or Positive

Multiple Choice

Is the tone of this paragraph toward the new student? Positive, neutral, or negative?

That morning, however, Mrs. Lupton was absent, and a substitute teacher held the reins. The sub told us to sit where we wanted as long as we were quiet until the bell rang. Rookie mistake - the room was anything but quiet. It sounded like a banquet, and a morning announcement passed in obscurity. I didn't even learn who the girl was until after lunch. By the time I got to fourth period, distracted by a pop quiz in Precalculus and a grueilng game of dodgeball in Phys Ed, I had nearly forgotten her existence. Then, in biology, she appeared again. Mr. Hehlgans stood her in front of the class and announced, "We have a new student. This is Alice, an exchange student from Sweden. Alice, would you like to introduce yourself to the class?" She just shook her head and sat in that lonely desk in the front row, the one directly in front of Mr. Hehlgan's face, a chair I'd always thought of more as a buffer between teacher and student than a functional seat. Must be tough, I thought. Not only new, but new in another country.

• Positive

• Neutral

• Negative

Multiple Choice

Is the specific tone of this paragraph toward the new student?

That morning, however, Mrs. Lupton was absent, and a substitute teacher held the reins. The sub told us to sit where we wanted as long as we were quiet until the bell rang. Rookie mistake - the room was anything but quiet. It sounded like a banquet, and a morning announcement passed in obscurity. I didn't even learn who the girl was until after lunch. By the time I got to fourth period, distracted by a pop quiz in Precalculus and a grueilng game of dodgeball in Phys Ed, I had nearly forgotten her existence. Then, in biology, she appeared again. Mr. Hehlgans stood her in front of the class and announced, "We have a new student. This is Alice, an exchange student from Sweden. Alice, would you like to introduce yourself to the class?" She just shook her head and sat in that lonely desk in the front row, the one directly in front of Mr. Hehlgan's face, a chair I'd always thought of more as a buffer between teacher and student than a functional seat. Must be tough, I thought. Not only new, but new in another country.

• thoughtful and sincere

• condescending and disapproving

• irreverent and humorous

• whimsical and enthusiastic

​Verbs

Pay attention to action words, especially those found in answer choices. The verbs will help you immediately avoid incorrect answers. If you see a verb in an answer, ask yourself, "is that really what they were doing?"

Subject | Subject

Reading Comprehension

Multiple Choice

The author most likely uses the description in lines 1 - 5 in order to:

"I'll never forget when she sat down at the desk behind me. It was already October, the second month of school, so I was surprised to see a new kid. We had assigned seats for homeroom, of course, so she was taking Alex's spot."

• illustrate the narrator's reaction to a new student.

• contradict the information that follows in the rest of the paragraph

• stress Alice's negative reaction to the new school.

• list reasons why Alice is unlikely to fit in at her new school.

​Nouns

Sometimes, answer choices almost say the exact thing you want them to say. In the world of multiple choice tests, however, almost correct is incorrect! To avoid choosing an almost correct answer, investigate the nouns.

Subject | Subject

Reading Comprehension

Multiple Choice

The third paragraph most strongly suggests that:

As it turned out, Alice didn't talk much for the first two weeks. People tried the first few days, but she seemed aloof, as if she wasn't yet ready to be part of the swarm of Sunvale High. In the waves of gossip I caught coursing through the halls, I learned that people had decided she was egotistical. I, however, was skeptical - I figured that nerves could easily be mistaken for ego, that fear of failure could be perceived as arrogance. I could see why she would find it easier just to float, to listen. One afternoon, I was getting reading for the fall lacrosse workout. As I bounced the ball against the brick wall of the school, I saw Alice out of the corner of my eye. I nodded at my extra stick sitting on my bag. She picked it up, and we started to play catch - as if it were an old tradition of ours. After a few rounds, I ventured, "Have you ever played lacrosse?" To my surprise, Alice started to chat. She told me that lacrosse wasn't popular in Sweden, but that she always wanted to try. I showed her a few stick skills and asked if she wanted to join me for the team workout.

• high school students are always judgmental of quiet students.

• Alice hates being at her new school.

• Alice only speaks Swedish and does not understand any English.

• the narrator empathizes with Alice's nervousness.

​Extremes

Extreme words in questions and answer choices completely restrict the meaning of what is written. For example, describing an embarrassing moment is completely different from describing your most embarrassing moment.

Subject | Subject

Reading Comprehension

Multiple Choice

It can most reasonably be inferred from the passage that when asked to play lacrosse, Alice feels:

By the time spring tryouts rolled around, Alice had practiced enough to make varsity. She made some friends on the team, me included, and her host family was excited to see her getting involved in school.

• nervous, because she never played.

• receptive to trying a new sport.

• annoyed that she will have to try out for the team.

• frustrated that other sports are not available.

Multiple Choice

So let's look at theme again, looking just at the conclusion:

Looking back now on our long-term friendships. I've come to realize the importance of reaching out. Whether with speech or sport, concerted efforts to find kinship among classmates can act as a bridge to human connection. Initial judgments often prove false, and an extra lacrosse stick can be the seed that grows a lifelong friendship.

• high school students are often unkind to new arrivals.

• lacrosse is an unpopular sport in Sweden

• sports can help people of different backgrounds make connections.

• exchange students must find activities to be involved with in their new school.

Now You Try!

Some text here about the topic of discussion