BC English 10 -- Semester Exam REVIEW

Why is a literary author's purpose sometimes tricky to identify?

• Some author's get confused and change purposes midway.

• The author may express a purpose subtly or indirectly.

• Some authors do not really have a purpose for writing.

• The author may be just pretending to have a purpose.

Which of these sentences from "Where Have All the Fires Gone?" provides a set of specific facts as evidence for the article's main idea?

• Human history is lumpy --- its kindled flame flickers with the winds of migration, war, and disease.

• Pre-Columbian peoples fired along routes of travel, and they burned patches where flame could help them extract some resource -- llamas, deer, huckleberries, maize.

• In the United States, few places know as much fire today as they did a century ago.

• Places that had known regular fire, perhaps for thousands of years, suffered when those fired vanished.

In The Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man wanted to see the Wizard about getting...

• A heart

• An oil can

• A brain

• A dog

How does a writer determine the best organizational pattern for a piece of writing?

• by counting the number of subsections and distributing them evenly under main headings

• by finding the most visually pleasing way of presenting the information

• by considering the main topic of the piece and the relationships between supporting ideas

• by looking at other articles written on the same or a similar topic

What might a group of students gain from discussing their different perspectives on a work of art?

• They might consider other ways of looking at or appreciating the work of art.

• They might get a chance to instruct other students about their point of view.

• They might demonstrate how much they know about art history.

• They might earn higher grades by learning from smarter students.

How many blue stripes are there on the U.S. flag?

• 6

• 7

• 13

• 0

Which of the following are types of figures of speech?

• nuance, intensity, and mood

• position, effect, and plot

• tone, variation, and feeling

• hyperbole, metaphor, and idiom

What is the final step in evaluating informative writing?

• Consider the author's purpose for writing the information.

• Explain how well the author uses organizational patterns and supporting details to develop a main idea.

• Provide examples of typographical features such as headings and subheadings.

• Identify examples of the author's use of transition phrases to make important points about the topic.

What is the only U.S. state to grow coffee beans?

• Florida

• California

• Hawaii

• Louisiana

How do most good writers "hook" readers and engage them at the very beginning of a story?

• by introducing the story's conflict right away

• by using a flashback right away

• by naming all the major characters right away

• by identifying the time and place right away