6th Reading: Literature & Informational practice questions and exam guide

The mood of a story refers to:

1. The narrator
2. The book's price
3. The genre
4. The emotional atmosphere the reader feels (mysterious, cheerful, tense)

Answer: D — The emotional atmosphere the reader feels (mysterious, cheerful, tense)

D) Definition. A/B/C) Different.

Foreshadowing in a story is:

1. Hinting at events that will happen later — creating suspense and unity
2. The story's main idea
3. The first sentence
4. Random details

Answer: A — Hinting at events that will happen later — creating suspense and unity

A) Standard definition. B/C/D) Different.

Passage: 'The casserole had been sitting out for hours. Devon eyed it, his stomach roaring loud enough to wake the neighbors.' The phrase 'loud enough to wake the neighbors' is an example of:

1. Hyperbole
2. Simile
3. Idiom
4. Symbolism

Answer: A — Hyperbole

A) Obvious exaggeration of stomach noise. B) No 'like'/'as.' C) Not a fixed cultural phrase. D) No object representing an idea.

Context clues help readers:

1. Find the author
2. Skip the word
3. Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words from surrounding sentences — synonyms, antonyms, examples, or definitions in the text
4. Memorize spellings

Answer: C — Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words from surrounding sentences — synonyms, antonyms, examples, or definitions in the text

Context clues solve unfamiliar words. (A), (B), (D) misread.

Passage: 'After years of being teased, Riley decided to start a club where everyone, no matter how strange, was welcome.' What is the BEST theme?

1. Clubs are for popular kids
2. Teasing is always funny
3. Personal pain can lead to kindness for others
4. Strange people should hide

Answer: C — Personal pain can lead to kindness for others

C) Pain → action for others = central message. A) Opposite. B) Wrong tone. D) Opposite of message.

Passage: 'Earthworms aerate soil, helping plants grow. They are nature's quiet farmers.' What is the author's PURPOSE?

1. To frighten readers about worms
2. To compare worms to fish
3. To inform and praise the role of worms
4. To sell worm food

Answer: C — To inform and praise the role of worms

C) Explains worms' role and uses 'quiet farmers' to praise. A) No fear element. B) No fish comparison. D) Not commercial.

Passage: 'The pioneers loaded their wagons with everything they owned. They left at sunrise and walked west until the prairie became their new home.' Which text structure best fits?

1. Cause and effect
2. Compare and contrast
3. Chronological
4. Problem and solution

Answer: C — Chronological

C) Loaded → left at sunrise → walked west = time order. A) Not a causal chain. B) No comparison. D) No central problem.

Passage: 'The rust on the gate was a slow, orange disease creeping across the iron.' This is an example of:

1. Simile
2. Onomatopoeia
3. Idiom
4. Metaphor

Answer: D — Metaphor

D) Rust IS a 'disease' without 'like'/'as.' A) Needs 'like'/'as.' B) No sound word. C) Not a fixed phrase.

An author's purpose in an informational text might be to:

1. Inform, persuade, or explain
2. Always to entertain
3. Write the longest possible essay
4. Avoid the topic entirely

Answer: A — Inform, persuade, or explain

A) Informational texts pursue informational/persuasive ends. B) Narrative entertains, but informational has different goals. C/D) Not purposes.

'Connotation' vs. 'denotation' refers to:

1. Same thing
2. Denotation = the dictionary meaning of a word; connotation = the emotional/cultural associations it carries (e.g., 'house' vs. 'home')
3. Spelling rules
4. Synonyms only

Answer: B — Denotation = the dictionary meaning of a word; connotation = the emotional/cultural associations it carries (e.g., 'house' vs. 'home')

Denotation = literal; connotation = associated meanings. (A), (C), (D) misread.

Folktale vs fairy tale:

1. Folktale: oral tradition, cultural origin. Fairy tale: subset, often with magic/enchantment
2. Same
3. Random
4. No distinction

Answer: A — Folktale: oral tradition, cultural origin. Fairy tale: subset, often with magic/enchantment

A) Standard. B/C/D) Each is incorrect.

A topic sentence in a paragraph usually:

1. Concludes the paragraph
2. Asks a question
3. States the main idea of that paragraph; the surrounding sentences provide supporting details
4. Is irrelevant

Answer: C — States the main idea of that paragraph; the surrounding sentences provide supporting details

Topic sentences carry main ideas. (A), (B), (D) misstate.

What is 'evidence' that supports a claim?

Facts, statistics, expert quotes, examples, anecdotes.

What is 'onomatopoeia'?

Words that sound like what they describe. Buzz, crash, sizzle.

What is 'exposition'?

The beginning where setting, characters, and situation are introduced.

What is 'first-person POV'?

A character tells the story using 'I' and 'me'.

What is a 'protagonist'?

The main character — usually the one we follow.

What is alliteration?

Repetition of the same initial consonant sound (Peter Piper picked...).