Think like an Expert Reader

The old house stood on a hill overlooking the town. Its windows were like vacant eyes, staring out blindly. A chilling silence clung to the air, so thick you could almost feel it press against your skin. The only sound was the gate, which groaned on its rusty hinges with every push of the wind.

To answer the question "What do the descriptions of the house suggest about its condition?", what is the most effective first step?

• Imagine a scary house you have seen in a movie.

• Identify specific descriptive words in the text, like "vacant," "chilling," and "rusty."

• Decide whether the author likes or dislikes the house.

• Quickly skim the passage to get a general feeling.

The old house stood on a hill overlooking the town. Its windows were like vacant eyes, staring out blindly. A chilling silence clung to the air, so thick you could almost feel it press against your skin. The only sound was the gate, which groaned on its rusty hinges with every push of the wind.

When a question asks "How is the comparison... effective?", what exactly is it asking you to explain?

• The literal meaning of the words in the comparison.

• Whether the comparison is a simile or a metaphor.

• The feelings, ideas, or images the comparison creates for the reader.

• A summary of the plot of the paragraph.

He felt his hope, once a sturdy oak tree in his heart, splinter and crash to the ground.

To answer "What does the comparison of hope to a 'sturdy oak tree' suggest...?", you should focus on:

• The scientific facts about how oak trees grow.

• The literal definition of the word 'hope'.

• The qualities and feelings we associate with a "sturdy oak tree" and how they apply to hope.

• Whether the man works as a lumberjack.

He felt his hope, once a sturdy oak tree in his heart, splinter and crash to the ground.

A question asks, "Why do you think the author chose the word 'splintered'?". What is the best way to approach this?

• State that the author is using vivid imagery.

• Find other words in the passage that sound similar.

• Think about the dictionary definition of "splintered."

• Consider the violent and destructive feeling of the word and link it to what happened to the man's hope.

The teacher's praise was sunshine on a budding flower. After weeks of struggling, Maya felt a tentative confidence begin to unfurl within her.

To answer "Suggest one reason why the author compares praise to sunshine", a student must:

• Explain how praise and sunshine are physically similar.

• Focus on the function of sunshine (what it does for a flower) and apply that function to praise.

• Invent a reason from their own imagination without referring to the flower.

• State that both praise and sunshine are generally considered positive things.

The teacher's praise was sunshine on a budding flower. After weeks of struggling, Maya felt a tentative confidence begin to unfurl within her.

When analysing the word "unfurl", what should a student primarily consider?

• The slow, gradual, and graceful action the word implies.

• The number of letters in the word.

• The fact that it starts with a vowel.

• The literal definition of 'unfurl' as it relates to flags or sails.

The lawyer's argument was a tightly-woven net. He laid it out piece by piece, and with each new fact, another knot was tied, leaving the witness with no room to escape.

To understand what the "tightly-woven net" suggests about the argument, what must you do?

• Focus on what a net is designed to do (trap, ensnare) and apply this purpose to the argument.

• Think about the lawyer's personal hobbies, such as fishing.

• Consider the physical material of the net (e.g., rope, string).

• Decide if you agree with the lawyer's argument.

The lawyer's argument was a tightly-woven net. He laid it out piece by piece, and with each new fact, another knot was tied, leaving the witness with no room to escape.

To answer "Why do you think the author adds the detail 'another knot was tied'?", a student should focus on how this detail:

• Slows down the pace of the story unnecessarily.

• Suggests the witness is literally being tied to their chair.

• Shows the lawyer is getting confused and tangled in his own logic.

• Reinforces the idea that the argument is being made stronger and more inescapable with each fact.