SAVASS ELA Unit 3 Review

What is the theme of a story?

• what happened in a story

• the hero in a story

• a summary of story events

• the message or lesson of the story

Which statement is NOT an example of the theme of a story?

• Power can cause both chaos and order.

• Intelligence should be used to protect, not harm, people.

• Sherlock Holmes stops a snake from poisoning Helen Stoner.

• Responsibility is required with leadership.

All Victor ever wanted to do with his life was to be a singer. He didn't pay attention in school, and he spent all his time at home listening to music and impersonating his idols. His mother tried to teach him the value of getting an education and having a backup plan. But Victor would respond the same way every time, "Mom, I won't need to know any of that boring old stuff when I'm famous. You'll see." There was one major problem with Victor's plan: he wasn't any good at singing. Victor enjoyed singing so much that he didn't notice the pained look on the faces of those who endured his singing. Some lied to him and said they liked his singing. Other people told him to find something else to do with his life. Victor accused those people of being "jealous haters" and ignored their advice. Soon Victor dropped out of high school to focus on his music career. The years passed and the doors never opened.

Part A
Which theme would most likely be developed in the story? Base your answer on the introduction and the details in the passage.

• never stop dreaming

• have a back up plan

• other people can be jealous of your success

• moms know best

All Victor ever wanted to do with his life was to be a singer. He didn't pay attention in school, and he spent all his time at home listening to music and impersonating his idols. His mother tried to teach him the value of getting an education and having a backup plan. But Victor would respond the same way every time, "Mom, I won't need to know any of that boring old stuff when I'm famous. You'll see." There was one major problem with Victor's plan: he wasn't any good at singing. Victor enjoyed singing so much that he didn't notice the pained look on the faces of those who endured his singing. Some lied to him and said they liked his singing. Other people told him to find something else to do with his life. Victor accused those people of being "jealous haters" and ignored their advice. Soon Victor dropped out of high school to focus on his music career. The years passed and the doors never opened.

Part B
Which details from the selection best support the answer to Part A?

• All Victor ever wanted to do with his life was to be a singer.

• Victor didn't pay attention in school.

• His mother tried to teach him the value of getting an education and having a backup plan.

• Victor accused those people of being "jealous haters..."

What is an implied theme in literature?

• a theme that is not directly stated, but is suggested by details in the text

• a theme that is completely unrelated to the story

• a theme that is directly stated by the author

• a theme that is only understood by the author

All Victor ever wanted to do with his life was to be a singer. He didn't pay attention in school, and he spent all his time at home listening to music and impersonating his idols. His mother tried to teach him the value of getting an education and having a backup plan. But Victor would respond the same way every time, "Mom, I won't need to know any of that boring old stuff when I'm famous. You'll see." There was one major problem with Victor's plan: he wasn't any good at singing. Victor enjoyed singing so much that he didn't notice the pained look on the faces of those who endured his singing. Some lied to him and said they liked his singing. Other people told him to find something else to do with his life. Victor accused those people of being "jealous haters" and ignored their advice. Soon Victor dropped out of high school to focus on his music career. The years passed and the doors never opened.

Which of the following sentences would imply, not state, a theme if it appeared in the story?

• Sometimes people will lie to you to make you feel better.

• Success comes in many forms.

• His mother tried to teach him the value of getting an education and having a backup plan.

• Sometimes you should listen to the advice of others.

14 So she said to Tommy, “Why would anyone write about school?”

15 Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes.  “Because it’s not our kind of school, stupid.  This is the old kind of school that they had hundreds and hundreds of years ago.”  He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago.”

16 Margie was hurt.  “Well, I don’t know what kind of school they had all that time ago.”  She read the book over his shoulder for a while, then said, “Anyway, they had a teacher.”

17 Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher.  It was a man.”

Which choice best explains why this excerpt is considered science fiction?

• Some of its main characters are scientists.

• It describes an imagined future with no regular teachers.

• The main characters are not real people.

• It provides information about the planet.

In "Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?" Cailin Loesch thinks deeply about her father's experiences growing up at a

time when technology was not as advanced. Carefully read the excerpt and answer the question that follows.

3 I asked Dad to elaborate on his comment.

4 "When I was a young boy, we had a pool in our backyard. My brothers and I weren’t allowed to go swimming until the temperature reached 75 degrees—not one degree less. And so we boys spent our summer mornings waiting by the TV for the hourly report that read the temperature, praying that it would say the number we wanted it to so that we could dive in. I have vivid memories of those mornings.”

5 Suddenly life in the 1970s seemed so distant . . . It occured to me that my dad has experienced life like I will never know it . . .

Which of the following are elements of a reflective essay included in the passage? Choose three options.

3 I asked Dad to elaborate on his comment.

 

4 “When I was a young boy, we had a pool in our backyard. 

• The author

  1 reflects on a specific topic

  2 supports a claim with clear reasons,

  3 praises a person from his or her life

• The author

  1 reflects on a specific topic

  2 uses informal language with a thoughtful quality

  3 discusses insights gained from an experience

• The author

  1 includes dialogue that leads to understanding

  2 praises a person from his or her life

  3 supports a claim with clear reasons

• The author

  1 discusses insights gained from an experience

  2 reflects on a specific topic

  3 includes dialogue that leads to understanding

In "Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?" Cailin Loesch thinks deeply about her father's experiences growing up at a time when technology was not advanced. She compares and contrasts her father's experiences and attitude toward his childhood with her own feelings about growing up in a world increasingly dependent on technology.

Which of the following sentences from the passage most clearly presents the author’s reflections about her experience?

• "I don't know how new technology will affect future generations, and I don't know if it will do more good or bad.

• The thing that has really stayed with me, though, is my dad's comment about how all these new technologies are a "problem."

• Suddenly, life in the 1970s seemed distant, and people detached.

• Will we pull out our old 3DS XLs to smile at . . .

All persuasive writing presents a main claim, which is the author's position or opinion. What different types of details can be used to support these claims? (Choose ALL that apply.)

• logical reasons

• facts

• quotations from experts

• example that help illustrate ideass