Analyzing STAAR Questions

STAAR Question: How does the setting influence the plot of a story?

How is "influence" being used in this sentence?

• beginning

• effect

• determine

• apply

STAAR Question: What is the significance of the crowd returning at lunchtime to watch Maniac?

How is the word "significance" being used in this sentence?

• problem

• synonym

• order

• importance

STAAR Question: Paragraph 7 mainly focuses on -

What skill are you being asked to use for this question?

• summary

• main idea

• context clues

• conflict

STAAR Question: The author organizes this selection by -

What skill are you being asked to use in this question?

• main idea

• conflict

• supporting details

• text structure

STAAR Question: Which sentence from the selection states an opinion?

Which one of the following strategies will help you determine the answer to this question?

• Reread the entire selection and separate all the facts from opinion.

• Read the answer choices and look for opinion words (such as: definitely, obviously, clearly, unfair).

• Write a summary of the selection.

STAAR Question: The playwright uses the sounds of rain and thunder throughout selection mainly to -

What is a playwright?

• author of a poem

• author of nonfiction text

• author of dramas

STAAR Question: The author begins and ends the selection with this idea in order to emphasize that -

Which of the following is the best synonym for the word "emphasize"?

• determine

• conclude

• point out

STAAR Question: What lesson does the narrator learn while spending time with her grandmother? 
What skill are you being asked to use in this sentence?

• main idea
• theme
• conflict
• character motivation

All story plots follow a natural order, which is known as the elements of plot. Which answer has the elements labeled in the correct order?

• Title, introductory paragraph, body

  paragraph, and conclusion paragraph

• Resolution, climax, rising action, conflict,

  falling action, exposition

• Exposition, conflict, rising action, climax,

  falling action, resolution

• fiction, nonfiction, drama, poetry

The moral or lesson of the story is also known as?

• main idea

• topic

• theme

• central idea