1. The Final Exam for RD 095 and RD 099 Montgomery College
What kinds of questions will be on the Final Exam?

2. Main Idea Questions
The following types of questions are asking students to identify the Main Idea:
What is the main point?
What is the central point?
The passage is primarily concerned with…
The best title for this selection would be...

3. Specific Details Questions
These questions may be about Major Details that support the Main Idea, or about Minor Details which support the Major Details.
According to the passage…
Which does the author mention as evidence…?

4. Inference Questions
Remember that the author implies and that the reader infers. We infer on a daily basis as we read, watch, and listen. As critical readers, we “read between the lines.”
It can be inferred that…
What is implied?
Which of the following is an assumption made by the author?
The author/article suggests that...

5. Tone Questions
Tone refers to the author’s feelings about the topic. The vocabulary, sentence length, and punctuation can help us determine the tone the author is expressing. Examples of tone include sad, elated, sorrowful, questioning, mystified, angry, and amused.
What is the tone of the passage?
The tone of the article can best be described as...

6. Purpose Questions What is the purpose of the passage?
These questions ask the author’s primary reason for writing the essay, passage, article, report or any kind of text.
There are three purposes: persuade, inform or entertain. Look for synonyms for these in your answers.
What is the purpose of the passage?

7. Vocabulary in Context
Other words near an unfamiliar word may give clues that help readers determine the meaning of the word. This context is a useful reading skill and will be tested on the Final Exam. There are four kinds of context clues.

8. Context Clue 1: Synonyms or Restatement
Words with the same or nearly the same meaning are called synonyms.
Joyful, happy, and pleased are synonyms because they all mean about the same thing.

9. Context Clue 2: Antonyms or Contrast
Words with opposite or almost opposite meanings are called antonyms.
Exciting and boring are antonyms because they have opposite meanings.

10. Context Clue 3: Examples
A sentence may have an example that helps explain the meaning of an unfamiliar word. The example can also appear in a nearby sentence.
The rituals of cutting down your own Christmas tree or making homemade eggnog are unfamiliar to many families. This year, however, it is predicted that more and more families will be involved in this custom.

11. Context Clue4: The Meaning of the Sentence as a Whole by General Sense
Sometimes there is no example, synonym, or antonym in a sentence. But even without these clues, readers can determine the definition of an unfamiliar word.
The meaning is determined by the use of prior knowledge (schema) and drawing a logical conclusion based on the details in the sentence.

12. Can you figure out the meaning of the italicized word in the following sentence?
The United Nations may impose sanctions against countries who do not become actively involved in curtailing the production and trafficking of illegal drugs.

13. Context Clues questions may include:
Choose the word or words that is closest in meaning to the underlined/boldfaced/italicized word.
By _____________, the author means…
Which of the following words/phrases would best be substituted for __________ (paragraph 7) without changing the meaning of the passage?

14. Patterns of Organization
These apply to how supporting details are arranged.
The main pattern of organization is…

15. Visual and Graphic Aids
These ask questions about graphs and other visual aids found in textbooks. This includes looking at the data.
What type of visual aid is Figure 2?
What would be a good title for the visual aid?
Identify the most/least …?
What is the mean?

16. Take your time with the Final Exam and remember - it’s worth 20% of your final grade!

17. Remember – You must be on time for your final exam.