WorksheetsTone & Author's Purpose
Total questions: 23
Worksheet time: 36mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Indicate whether the primary purpose of each sentence is to inform, to instruct, to persuade, or to entertain.
If you spend a dollar every minute, it will take you about twenty centuries to spend a billion dollars.
If you spend a dollar every minute, it will take you about twenty centuries to spend a billion dollars.
a)
Persuade
b)
Inform
c)
Entertain
d)
Instruct
2.
By selling candy and other junk food in the lunchroom, public schools are teaching poor nutrition; such “lessons” should not be allowed.
a)
Inform
b)
Persuade
c)
Entertain
d)
Instruct
3.
I asked my boss for a raise, so he moved my office from the basement to the second floor.
a)
Inform
b)
Persuade
c)
Instruct
d)
Entertain
4.
People should not be allowed to have children until they take a parenting class.
a)
Inform
b)
Instruct
c)
Entertain
d)
Persuade
5.
What is the tone of the text? “ . . . the next minute, Winn-Dixie looked like a furry bullet, shooting across the building, chasing that mouse. He was barking and his feet were skidding all over the polished Pick-It-Quick floor, and people were clapping and hollering and pointing. They really went wild when Winn-Dixie actually caught the mouse.”
a)
enthusiastic
b)
sad
c)
scared
d)
anxious
6.
I love to watch birds! It always amazes me
how they can build those nests! I like to leave
scraps of hair and yarn out for them to find.
They'll use these things and weave them into a
nest. Being a parent is a hard job, and the birds
can use all the help they can get.
What is the author's perspective?
how they can build those nests! I like to leave
scraps of hair and yarn out for them to find.
They'll use these things and weave them into a
nest. Being a parent is a hard job, and the birds
can use all the help they can get.
What is the author's perspective?
a)
Humans should help birds build their nest
b)
Humans should never interfere with wild animals
c)
Birds are interesting animals
d)
Birds use lots of things to build their nest
7.
Deer are beautiful creatures.
They are so graceful to watch as
they run through the forest. It's
hard to understand how anyone could do anything to harm these beautiful animals.
What is the author's perspective?
They are so graceful to watch as
they run through the forest. It's
hard to understand how anyone could do anything to harm these beautiful animals.
What is the author's perspective?
a)
The author favors deer hunting
b)
The author thinks there are too many deer
c)
The author does not favor deer hunting
d)
The author thinks deer harm the environment
8.
Dolphins have suffered from the carelessness
of humans. Many dolphins are killed each year in fishing nets. Oil has been spilled into ocean
water, polluting the dolphins' environment.
What is the author's perspective?
of humans. Many dolphins are killed each year in fishing nets. Oil has been spilled into ocean
water, polluting the dolphins' environment.
What is the author's perspective?
a)
Thea author's favorite animal is a dolphin
b)
The author thinks that humans harm dolphins
c)
The author thinks that dolphins are dangerous
d)
The author thinks that humans are helping dolphins.
9.
The deer population
has grown tremendously in recent
years. Each year at hunting season, hunters are able to help
control the deer population and
prevent many deer from starving.
What is the author's perspective?
has grown tremendously in recent
years. Each year at hunting season, hunters are able to help
control the deer population and
prevent many deer from starving.
What is the author's perspective?
a)
The author favors deer hunting
b)
The author thinks that deer are harmful to the environment
c)
The author does not favor deer hunting
d)
The author loves deer
10.
Landfills are overflowing with the garbage
created by fast food restaurants and individuals too lazy to wash their dishes. The earth is
becoming polluted. Wouldn't it be nice if people would go back to eating at home and washing
dishes?
Which statement do you think the author would agree with?
created by fast food restaurants and individuals too lazy to wash their dishes. The earth is
becoming polluted. Wouldn't it be nice if people would go back to eating at home and washing
dishes?
Which statement do you think the author would agree with?
a)
People should not use disposable products
b)
People should never wash dishes
c)
People should only use disposable products
11.
"A writer's reason for crafting a particular work" is the definition for which term:
a)
Author's Perspective
b)
Author's Tone
c)
Author's Purpose
d)
Author's Style
12.
Diction refers to...
a)
An author's style
b)
An author's choice of words and syntax
c)
An author's tone
d)
An author's perspective
13.
"They plan to kill General Washington." He closed the book, set it on the floor, and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Tell me all" (103).
What is the tone of the dialogue?
What is the tone of the dialogue?
a)
informal
b)
happy
c)
serious
d)
optomistic
14.
"Folks were prickly and fearful. Loyalist shopkeepers had been tarred and feathered by angry mobs and their shops destroyed. Each day dawned hotter than the one before" (106).
What is the mood of the passage?
What is the mood of the passage?
a)
romantic
b)
sorrowful
c)
joyful
d)
suspenseful
15.
Expecting the worst possible outcome
a)
optimistic
b)
pessimistic
c)
frank
d)
neutral
16.
Having no personal preference
a)
neutral
b)
empathetic
c)
appreciation
d)
frank
17.
Expecting the best in this best of all possible worlds
a)
optimistic
b)
critical
c)
ambivalence
d)
frank
18.
Angered at something unjust or wrong
a)
indignant
b)
empathetic
c)
appreciation
d)
critical
19.
The national Parks System costs $1.2 billion annually to operate. Of that amount, $900,000 is spent on costs associated with visitors. The system has 368 locations, including major parks, such as the Grand Canyon, and small, specialized parks that feature one thing. We need to reexamine the type and quality of parks paid for by federal dollars. An independent commission could review the parks and determine whether or not they all should be kept open and what level of fees should be charged to park users. Currently, the people who use parks pay less than ten percent of the costs of operating them.
1. What is the author suggesting?
1. What is the author suggesting?
a)
A commission should start closing the smaller parks.
b)
The government should pay a larger portion of the costs of running the national parks.
c)
There is a need to reexamine the current parks to be sure we want to keep them and see if we need them all.
d)
The National Park System will be fine if we just eliminate some of the smaller specialized parks.
20.
People are concerned that irradiated food will lead to an increase in cancer. But what about the benefits of reduced toxins, food decontamination, and a longer shelf life? Have x-rays cause people to become radioactive? Irradiation eliminates poisonous toxins and microorganisms. Scientists have found more of a chemical reaction in frozen and canned food than in food that has been irradiated. Sixty-seven percent of consumers would be willing to pay more for chicken that has significantly fewer toxins, according to a recent survey.
3. With which statement would this author most likely agree.
3. With which statement would this author most likely agree.
a)
Frozen foods are safer than irradiated foods.
b)
X-rays cause people to become radioactive.
c)
People are foolish to worry about cancer.
d)
Irradiation reduces the risks of contamination.
21.
The money spent on political campaign is paltry when compared to expenditures for commercial advertising. If we limited campaign spending, the incumbents would have an unfair advantage. Limiting campaign spending is like limiting free speech, which is embodied in the First Amendment of the Constitution. Maybe we should reform political campaigns, but not limit spending on them. What we really need to ensure is that all candidates who wish to can afford to campaign effectively.
6. When the author writes “Limiting campaign spending is like limiting free speech,” he is saying
6. When the author writes “Limiting campaign spending is like limiting free speech,” he is saying
a)
We should limit free speech.
b)
Political campaigns should be free.
c)
Since free speech is limited, we should limit campaign spending.
d)
Limiting campaign spending is unconstitutional.
22.
National service can teach the values of hard work, self-sacrifice, and learning to live with different people. It can put youth back to work. It can teach them job skills and instill the values of discipline, responsibility, and civic obligation. It can also provide long-term investment in the education and skills of our citizens. National service can also bring us together as a nation. WE need to move back to a central core of beliefs.
8. When the author writes, “it can also provide long-term investment in the education and life skills of our citizens,” she is trying to convince the reader that-
8. When the author writes, “it can also provide long-term investment in the education and life skills of our citizens,” she is trying to convince the reader that-
a)
The benefits of national service can last a lifetime.
b)
Education is important to the citizens of this country.
c)
National service is a long-term program.
d)
Education is more important than national service.
23.
The island of Surtsey, off the coast of Iceland, was the first new island to appear in the North Atlantic in two hundred years. Scientist studied how plant life began on the island and how long the island may last. They determine whether the island would be destroyed by the same volcano that created it. Their research gave the public a wealth of information about this unusual island.
9. The author feels that the scientists’ study of Surtsey-
9. The author feels that the scientists’ study of Surtsey-
a)
Made it famous.
b)
Made them wealthy.
c)
Was unnatural.
d)
Was a waste of their time.
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