Text Structure (Advanced)

(Excerpt from Leviathan By Scott Westerfeld)

The Austrian horses glinted in the moonlight, their riders standing tall in the saddle, swords raised. Behind them two ranks of diesel-powered walking machines stood ready to fire, cannon aimed over the heads of the cavalry. A zeppelin scouted no-man's-land at the center of the battlefield, its metal skin sparkling. The French and British infantry crouched behind their fortifications — a letter opener, an ink jar, and a line of fountain pens — knowing they stood no chance against the might of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. But a row of monsters loomed behind them, ready to devour any who dared retreat. The attack had almost begun when Prince Aleksandar thought he heard someone outside his door...

Which text structure does the author use in the passage?

• descriptive

• problem and solution

• cause and effect

• sequencing

Tags

6.9B

(Excerpt from Leviathan By Scott Westerfeld)

The Austrian horses glinted in the moonlight, their riders standing tall in the saddle, swords raised. Behind them two ranks of diesel-powered walking machines stood ready to fire, cannon aimed over the heads of the cavalry. A zeppelin scouted no-man's-land at the center of the battlefield, its metal skin sparkling. The French and British infantry crouched behind their fortifications — a letter opener, an ink jar, and a line of fountain pens — knowing they stood no chance against the might of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. But a row of monsters loomed behind them, ready to devour any who dared retreat. The attack had almost begun when Prince Aleksandar thought he heard someone outside his door...

Which clue in the passage suggests the battle is just for pretend?

• cannon aimed over the heads of the cavalry

• a letter opener, an ink jar, and a line of fountain pens

• monsters loomed behind them, ready to devour any who dared retreat

• The attack had almost begun when Prince Aleksandar thought

Tags

6.9B

(Excerpt from I capture the Castle By Dodie Smith)

Three years ago (or is it four? I know father's one spasm of sociability was in 1931) a stepmother was presented to us. We were surprised. She is a famous artists' model who claims to have been christened Topaz even if this is true there is no law to make a woman stick to a name like that. She is very beautiful, with masses of hair so fair that it is almost white, and a quite extraordinary pallor. She uses no makeup, not even powder. There are two paintings of her in the Tate Gallery: one by Macmorris, called "Topaz in Jade", in which she wears a magnificent jade necklace; and one by H. J. Allardy which shows her on an old horsehair covered sofa. This is called "Composition"; but as Allardy has painted her even paler than she is, "Decomposition" would suit it better. Actually, there is nothing unhealthy about Topaz's pallor; it simply makes her look as if she belonged to some new race. She has a very deep voice that is, she puts one on; it is part of an arty pose, which includes painting and lute playing. But her kindness is perfectly genuine and so is her cooking. I am very, very fond of her. It is nice to have written that just as she appears on the kitchen stairs. She is wearing her ancient orange tea gown. Her pale, straight hair is flowing down her back to her waist. She paused on the top step and said "Ah, girls..." with three velvety inflections on each word.

Which text structure does the author use in the passage?

• cause and effect

• descriptive

• problem and solution

• compare and contrast

Tags

6.9B

(Excerpt from I capture the Castle By Dodie Smith)

Three years ago (or is it four? I know father's one spasm of sociability was in 1931) a stepmother was presented to us. We were surprised. She is a famous artists' model who claims to have been christened Topaz even if this is true there is no law to make a woman stick to a name like that. She is very beautiful, with masses of hair so fair that it is almost white, and a quite extraordinary pallor. She uses no makeup, not even powder. There are two paintings of her in the Tate Gallery: one by Macmorris, called "Topaz in Jade", in which she wears a magnificent jade necklace; and one by H. J. Allardy which shows her on an old horsehair covered sofa. This is called "Composition"; but as Allardy has painted her even paler than she is, "Decomposition" would suit it better. Actually, there is nothing unhealthy about Topaz's pallor; it simply makes her look as if she belonged to some new race. She has a very deep voice that is, she puts one on; it is part of an arty pose, which includes painting and lute playing. But her kindness is perfectly genuine and so is her cooking. I am very, very fond of her. It is nice to have written that just as she appears on the kitchen stairs. She is wearing her ancient orange tea gown. Her pale, straight hair is flowing down her back to her waist. She paused on the top step and said "Ah, girls..." with three velvety inflections on each word.

What detail from the passage lets you know how the narrator feels about her stepmother?

• We were surprised.

• She uses no makeup, not even powder.

• But her kindness is perfectly genuine.

• I am very, very fond of her.

(Excerpt from Before I Fall By Lauren Oliver)

But before I died, I didn't think of Rob, or any other guy. I didn't think of all the outrageous things I'd done with my friends. I didn't even think of my family, or the way the morning light turns the walls in my bedroom the color of cream, or the way the azaleas outside of my window smell in July, a mixture of honey and cinnamon. Instead, I thought of Vicky Hallinan. Specifically, I thought of the time in 4th grade when Lindsay announced in front of the whole gym class that she wouldn't have Vicky on her dodgeball team. I wasn't friends with Lindsay yet, but even then, she had this way of saying things that made them hilarious, and I laughed along with everyone else while Vicky's face turned as purple as the wrinkled underside of a storm cloud. That's what I remembered in that before-death instant, when I was supposed to be having some big revelation about my past: the smell of varnish and the squeak of our sneakers on the polished floor; the tightness of my polyester shorts; the laughter echoing around the big empty space like there were way more than twenty-five people in the gym. And Vicky's face.

Which text structure does the author use in the passage?

• cause and effect

• problem and solution

• descriptive

• sequencing

Tags

6.9B

(Excerpt from Before I Fall By Lauren Oliver)

But before I died, I didn't think of Rob, or any other guy. I didn't think of all the outrageous things I'd done with my friends. I didn't even think of my family, or the way the morning light turns the walls in my bedroom the color of cream, or the way the azaleas outside of my window smell in July, a mixture of honey and cinnamon. Instead, I thought of Vicky Hallinan. Specifically, I thought of the time in 4th grade when Lindsay announced in front of the whole gym class that she wouldn't have Vicky on her dodgeball team. I wasn't friends with Lindsay yet, but even then, she had this way of saying things that made them hilarious, and I laughed along with everyone else while Vicky's face turned as purple as the wrinkled underside of a storm cloud. That's what I remembered in that before-death instant, when I was supposed to be having some big revelation about my past: the smell of varnish and the squeak of our sneakers on the polished floor; the tightness of my polyester shorts; the laughter echoing around the big empty space like there were way more than twenty-five people in the gym. And Vicky's face.

What theme is present in the passage?

• Greed can have harmful consequences.

• Hurting others can lead to guilt.

• Before death you reflect on your life.

• Friends often have their own faults.

Tags

6.9B

(Excerpt from The Smoke Thieves By Sally Green)

Tash looked up; the sun was still high in the sky. The demon hunt happened at the end of the day. She could feel her stomach begin to tighten with nerves now. She just wanted to get on with it. First, Gravell had to coat the walls of the pit, then take cover in the nearby bushes and wait. Only when he saw the demon leap into the pit would he move forward, harpoons in hand. Timing was everything and they had it down to an art now, but it was Tash who risked her life, Tash who attracted the demon, Tash who had to know when to start running to draw the demon after her, Tash who had to outrun the demon, jump into the pit and, at the last possible moment, grab the rope and be hoisted out.

Which text structure does the author use in the passage?

• cause and effect

• problem and solution

• descriptive

• sequencing

Tags

6.9B