1. Mrs. Wood How to be Successful on the Reading Portion of the Graduation Exam

2. Read the passage and… 1. Read the title to understand the main idea 2. Underline main ideas…(first and last sentences) 3. Take notes on important items like facts and statistics by writing in the margin 4. Decide what writing mode it is – Narrative (uses quotes), Persuasive (persuades), Expository (explains or tells how), Informational (gives instructions or information) 5. Know your literary elements and underline them

3. Literary elements THEME: The lesson THEME: The lesson TONE: the attitude of the poem. Can change throughout the poem TONE: the attitude of the poem. Can change throughout the poem SYMBOLISM: item that stands for idea SYMBOLISM: item that stands for idea PERSONFICATION: something non- human does human action PERSONFICATION: something non- human does human action METAPHOR: comparison without like or as METAPHOR: comparison without like or as IRONY: The opposite of what you expect to happen IRONY: The opposite of what you expect to happen ALLUSION: in a story or poem, a song is called out, a name of a book or a famous person is called out. MONA LISA SMILE ALLUSION: in a story or poem, a song is called out, a name of a book or a famous person is called out. MONA LISA SMILE ONOMATOPOEIA: words that make sounds BAM! ONOMATOPOEIA: words that make sounds BAM! FLASHBACK: Time traveling to the past in a story FLASHBACK: Time traveling to the past in a story FORESHADOWING: clue to what will happen later. A PERSON IN A STORY WALKS BY A GRAVEYARD ON THE FIRST PAGE AND ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE STORY ENDS UP DEAD. FORESHADOWING: clue to what will happen later. A PERSON IN A STORY WALKS BY A GRAVEYARD ON THE FIRST PAGE AND ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE STORY ENDS UP DEAD. SIMILE: comparison with like or as SIMILE: comparison with like or as SATIRE: makes fun of a political person or group in order to make a point. Very much like sarcasm. SATIRE: makes fun of a political person or group in order to make a point. Very much like sarcasm. ALLEGORY: name or story that stands for another idea or name FAITH ALLEGORY: name or story that stands for another idea or name FAITH ALLITERATION: repetition of initial letter FICKLE FINGERS FLITTER ALLITERATION: repetition of initial letter FICKLE FINGERS FLITTER ASSONANCE: repetition of two or more words with same vowel sound in middle OLD OWL HOWLED ASSONANCE: repetition of two or more words with same vowel sound in middle OLD OWL HOWLED CONSONANCE: Repetition of initial consonant sound FROG FASTLY FLOPPED CONSONANCE: Repetition of initial consonant sound FROG FASTLY FLOPPED PARADOX: expression a contradiction like FREEDOM REQUIRES GREAT SELF-CONTROL PARADOX: expression a contradiction like FREEDOM REQUIRES GREAT SELF-CONTROL OXYMORON: Two words next to each other that express a contradict JUMBO SHRIMP, SAME DIFFERENCE OXYMORON: Two words next to each other that express a contradict JUMBO SHRIMP, SAME DIFFERENCE

4. Answering 1. Use the main ideas most of the time to guide your answering 2. Re-read to find the answer 3. Use process of elimination 4. Choose the answer with similar words to main ideas or the title