RECALL, SPECULATE, INFER, CONTEXT CLUES

RECALL & SUMMARIZE FACTS SPECULATE (MAKE INFERENCES) USE CONTEXT CLUES

THE ANSWER TO THIS TYPE OF QUESTION WILL BE CLEARLY STATED IN THE PASSAGE: GO BACK INTO THE TEXT TO LOCATE THE ANSWER SAMPLE PASSAGE: Joe and Nick worked together all afternoon cleaning out the garage. They would use the extra space to store their camping equipment during the winter. Question: What did Joe and Nick do all afternoon? A. They built an addition onto the garage to gain extra space. B. They went camping. C. They cleaned their camping equipment. D. They cleaned out the garage.

On the NJ ASK, you will be given four choices. Two of them will be completely incorrect, one may be PARTIALLY correct, and ONLY ONE will be correct. A. They built an addition onto the garage to gain extra space- the passage does not indicate that Joe and Nick built an addition onto the garage B. They went camping- the passage does not say that Joe and Nick went camping that afternoon C. They cleaned their camping equipment- the passage does not say that Joe and Nick cleaned their camping equipment, but it DOES say that they spent the afternoon cleaning. D. They cleaned out the garage- Yes! The passage clearly states that Joe and Nick spend their afternoon cleaning out the garage.

SPECULATING OR MAKING INFERENCES MEANS TO MAKE LOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS. YOU CAN USE THESE FACTS & DETAILS TO: Margie’s mother dropped the pot of boiling water into the sink and said, “Ouch!” Make a logical guess about cause & effect: She said, “Ouch!” because After the party, the sausage pizza was gone, but many pieces of plain pizza were still on the table. Draw a conclusion based on evidence: The people at the party liked _____ pizza better than _____pizza. Jill’s hands were shaking as she turned to the coach and said softly, “I’m sorry, but I’m just not ready to dive into the deep end of the pool yet.” Figure out a character’s probably meaning or feelings: Jill’s shaking hands and soft voice tell you is she is probably feeling…….. The author began the essay with the statement, “Dogs are smart and loving; cats merely take up space.” Make an assumption about an author’s attitude and purpose for writing: This author wants to persuade readers that ____ are superior (better) to ______.

Read this very brief passage, followed by a multiple-choice question Pete’s words PROBABLY indicate that A. Pete doesn’t like Jennifer. B. Pete doesn’t like to stay with a baby-sitter. C. Pete doesn’t like bananas. D. Pete doesn’t like to eat alone. Jennifer was baby-sitting Mrs. Marconi’s four-year-old boy, Pete. “ I won’t, I won’t!” Pete screamed, and he threw the banana on the floor.

SOME MULITPLE CHOICE ITEMS ASK YOU TO USE CONTEXT CLUES TO DEFINE A WORD THAT APPEARS IN A PASSAGE. A WORD’S CONTEXT IS MADE UP OF THE WORDS AND PHRASES THAT APPEAR IN THE SAME SENTENCE OR IN NEARBY SENTENCES. IN THE NEXT SLIDE, FIGURE OUT THE MEANING OF THE WORD AGITATED BY LOOKING AT ITS CONTEXT.

Here are the clues to help you figure out what agitated means: Think about how people often feel when they must speak in front of an audience. The word however hints that agitated means the opposite of “calm”. The passage links the feelings of being dizzy and being agitated. Gail promised herself that she would be calm while she gave her speech. However, as soon as she stood up, she felt dizzy and agitated.

Use the thinking from the previous slide to answer the question. In the passage, the word agitated means A. comfortable and satisfied B. confident and ready C. nervous and edgy D. disappointed and regretful