The Following Study Guides will Help You Do Well on the Language Arts 8 Semester Final Exam
Warm-up packet
pages 7-8, 11-12, 14-15, 16-18, 26-27, 32-34.
Go to the following link for the reading selections and questions:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/documents/cstrtqela8.pdf
The following study guides are provided in the remainder of this document
1. Vocabulary lists 1-6
2. Grammar Study Guide
3. General Literary Terms Study Guide
4. Short Story Terms Study Guide
5. Poetry Terms Study Guide
VOCAUBLARY STUDRY GUIDE
Review the words from vocabulary lists 1-6:
VOCABULARY- List 1
reminiscing / telling of past experiences or eventsappassionato / deeply emotional
aplomb / complete self confidence; poise
feign / put on a false appearance of, pretend (feign sickness)
insidious / working in a hidden but harmful manner-- insidious plot or disease
vain / 1. conceited; overly proud of one’s appearance, abilities, or accomplishments
ap
VOCABULARY- List 2
derision / contempt; ridiculeprofound- / intellectually deep; getting to the bottom of the matter
sagacity / high intelligence and sound judgment
compulsory / enforced; required
meager / lacking in some way; inadequate
obdurate / stub stubbornly persistent
diplomatic / tactful
VOCABULARY-3
thoroughly / accurately and with regard to detailmanifestly / clearly
maneuver / series of planned steps
exhausted / used up; expended completely
exertion / energetic activity; effort
descent / the act of climbing down
ascent / the act of climbing or rising
VOCABULARY-4
conspicuous / noticeablemercurial / quick or changeable in behavior
manifestly / clearly
unabashed / unashamed
insufferable / unbearable
fatalist / one who believes events are determined by fate
ostentatiously / in a showy way
meticulous / extremely careful about details
Vocabulary List 5
anthrop / man; mankind / anthropophobiacbiblio, bibl / book / bibliomaniac
phon / sound / aphonic
graph, gram / write; draw; describe; record / phonograph
scop, scept, skept / look at; examine / microscopic
eu- / good; well / euphonious
caco- / bad; ill / cacography
micro / small / microscope
macro / large / macroscopic
tele-, tel- telo / far, distant / telegraphy
-mania
-maniac
-maniacal, -maniac, --manic / madness for; excessive fondness for
one who has a madness for
affected with madness for / megalomaniac
-phobia
-phobiac, --phobe, ---phobist
-phobic / dread of; morbid fear of
one who has a morbid fear of
fearful of; dreading / hydrophobia
a- / without / atheist
phil- / love / philanthropist
miso- / hate (hatred of) / misanthrope
mal(e) / bad, evil / malevolent
-ion / noun suffix / derision
-ive / adjective suffix / derisive
-ist / suffix meaning a person who… / anthropologist
Vocabulary List 6
More common roots, prefixes, and suffixes
hydro / water / hydroustrans / across, beyond / transcontinental
anti / against / antifreeze
retro / backward / retrograde
poly / many / polygon
inter / between / interstate
omni / all, everywhere / omnipresent
port / carry / portable
arch / rule / monarch
belli / war, warlike / belligerent
Grammar Study Guide
1 Which Sentence Contains an Error?
A. They gave the book to John and me.
B. Mason and we students met on the bus.
C. There new care is red.
D. You’re doing very well.
2 Which Sentence Contains an Error?
A. They’re winning the game.
B. Everyone was going accept those players.
C. They accepted your entire essay except
for the title.
D. Its color is green, except it’s blue in
the dark.
3 Which sentence contains an error?
A. Their house is next to yours.
B. Mary and she have a really good chance
to win.
C. Your going to do really well in the game.
D. They had drunk several sodas.
4 Which sentence contains an error?
A. The people had lain on the sofa.
B. We had wore the same clothes yesterday
C. The people had swum across the pool
D. They drank several glasses of water.
Directions: Decide on the correct pronoun and on your answer sheet, put either
A or B. A B
5. The teacher gave the prize to those students and (I/me).
A B
6. The team and (we/us) cheerleaders went on the bus.
A B
7. They sent presents to the students and (we/us) teachers.
A B
8. Zorro and (she/her) saved everyone.
A B
9. We mailed the packages to my friends and (they/them).
A B
10. Those boys danced with Sally, Martha, and (she/her).
A B
11. Mary and (I/me) went to the store.
Directions: In the following sections, put P if the sentence has parallel construction and
NP if there is not parallel construction.
12 He wanted three things out of college: to learn a skill, to make good friends, and to learn about life.
13 We found the film repulsive, offensive, and we thought it was embarrassing.
14 The teacher rewarded his students for their hard work on their project and going beyond the call of duty.
15 There's nothing I like better than finding a good trout stream, setting up camp, and to spend a couple of
days fishing.
Punctuation
Directions: Choose the item that punctuated correctly:
16.
A. The beans are crushed into an unsweetened substance consequently sugar may be added to the mixture.
B. The beans are crushed into an unsweetened substance, consequently sugar may be added
to the mixture.
C. The beans are crushed into an unsweetened substance, consequently, sugar may be added
to the mixture.
D. The beans are crushed into an unsweetened substance; consequently sugar may be added
to the mixture.
E. The beans are crushed into an unsweetened substance; consequently, sugar may be added
to the mixture.
17.
A. Emulsifiers are included for smoothness and cocoa butter is added or removed.
B. Emulsifiers are included for smoothness, and cocoa butter is added or removed.
C. Emulsifiers are included for smoothness,
cocoa butter is added or removed.
D. None of the above
18.
A. The original cocoa bean mash in its ingredients is called unsweetened chocolate it is also called baking chocolate.
B. The original cocoa bean mash in its ingredients is called unsweetened chocolate, it is also called baking chocolate.
C. The original cocoa bean mash in its ingredients is called unsweetened chocolate; it is also called baking chocolate.
D. The original cocoa bean mash in its ingredients is called unsweetened chocolate and it is also called baking chocolate.
Directions: Use the following key and put the correct letter on your answer sheet
A- comma B- semicolon C- colon D- no punctuation.
19
The farmer came out of the house he fired a shot into the air. The animals responded
20 21 22 23 24
in three ways They immediately stopped looked up and ran away however the farmer
25 26
was not satisfied because he had been disturbed. Mary and Joe did you know that
27 28 29
when they went into the meadow the hunters searched for rabbits with their binoculars
30
because they wanted to have rabbit stew for dinner. The dog barked at the cat and
started to chase it around the yard.
31 32
The cat climbed up a tree and it began to hiss at the dog. This huge feline a long-
33 34 35 36
haired Persian with a bushy tail hopped onto the fence and disappeared into the next yard.
CAPITALIZATION:
Directions: Put C if all the words in the sentence is correctly capitalized. Put NC if all the words are NOT correctly capitalized.
37. I’m currently reading All Quiet on the Western Front.
38. My favorite classes are Geometry and Science.
39. He is taking Spanish, English, and history.
40. They ate at the Chinese restaurant where we saw some Dutch art.
41. Our mayor, Mayor Doyle, is serving his second term in office.
42. I spent a year on the East Coast where it’s winter for five months out of the year.
43. We went Northeast for several blocks before we turned back towards town.
44. Last year we lived in the west, but this year we moved to the south.
45. “The assignment will be due before winter break,” the teacher said, “and I will accept no late work.”
46. Have you read Anne Frank’s book, The Diary Of A Young Girl?
General Literary Terms
1 A figure of speech in which an animal, object, force of nature, or idea is given human qualities or characteristics. / A symbol2 I’ve waited in line for centuries. / B metaphor
3 The distinctive use of language that conveys the writer’s or narrator’s personality to the reader. It is determined by elements of style such as word choice and tone. / C idiom
4 a character whittling wood with a knife early in a story. suggests terrible consequences with that knife later in the story. / D imagery
5 “Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, He bravely breach'd his boiling bloody breast.” from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream / E personification
6 lake is an inland body of water.—is an example of______. / F assonance
7 a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics / G analogy
8 Horses are to past societies as computers are to future societies / H hyperbole
9 anything that stands for or represents something else. / I simile
10 He was simply disgusting: His coarse, mousy-brown hair was matted; his breath reeked of garlic; and when he spoke, he sounded like a sick bull frog. / J voice
11 The repetition of sounds, most often consonant sounds, at the beginnings of words, which gives emphasis to words. / K connotation
12 There was an endless sea of water surrounding the raft, but the men were dying of thirst. / L exposition
13 a wedding ring representing marriage,
a dove representing peace / M onomatopoeia
14 Slim, Scrawny—These are examples of ______/ N tone
15 a contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality, or between what is expected and what actually happens.
16 The flowers begged for water. / P mood
17 buzz, murmur, swish. are examples / Q irony
18 a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor
19 A figure of speech that uses like/as to make a comparison between two unlike things or ideas. / S denotation
20 A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush / T alliteration
21 That’s the way the ball bounces.
22 the emotional quality or atmosphere of a story
23 “Try to light the fire.” is an example of this. / W assonance
24 The suggested or implied meanings associated with a word beyond its dictionary definition / X foreshadowing
25 A figure of speech in which something is described as though it were something else. It directly points out a similarity between two unlike things without using like/as.
26 The “word pictures” that writers create to help evoke an emotional response by using sensory details or descriptions that appeal to one or more of the five senses.
27 The following reflects a
humorous ______
I think my computer is crazy,
It’s gone off its rocker today,
the screen is impossibly
scrambled,
and I can’t control the
display.
Illegible symbols are
flashing
in places they just don’t
belong,
it’s surely no help with my
homework,
every last answer is wrong.
28 Death stood on the door step.
29 A comparison based on a similarity between things that are otherwise dissimilar. A writer may use it to explain something abstract or unfamiliar.
30 The use of a word or phrase that imitates or suggests the sound of what it describes
31 the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. It is used to reinforce the meanings of words or to set the mood.
32 the literal or dictionary meaning of a word.
33 She was hunched over and moved as if she were an old lady
34 His positive attitude is a lighthouse for the hopeful.
35 I’ve waited in line for centuries.
Terms Related Primarily with the Short Story
A flashback36 The action that follows the climax. / B protagonist
37 a character whittling wood with a knife early in a story. suggests terrible consequences with that knife later in the story. / C 3rd person omniscient point of view
38 the central idea or message of a story / D 3rd person limited point of view
39 The narrator is outside the story and knows everything about all characters and events. / E 1st person point of view
40 an account of an event that happened before a story began. It interrupts the chronological sequence of a story’s events, but gives readers information that may help explain the main events of the story / F falling action
41 a struggle between opposing forces / G theme
42 The story is told by one of the characters, referred to as I
43 “I’d like some pie,” he blurted out in a booming voice.”
“Well, come and get it. What ya’ll waiting for, a gold, engraved invitation?” / H foreshadowing
44 Loss of Innocence, sometimes called the "coming of age story," most commonly introduces an “innocent” character to the evil or complexity of the real/adult world. / I conflict
J external conflict
K antagonist
L internal conflict
45 What type of conflict is the following?
Sam raced through the bushes, stumbling over logs and rocks that lay on the path. His pursuers were close behind him. He had to keep moving even though he was exhausted. / M dialogue
N exposition
O plot
P theme
Q rising action
R point of view
46What type of conflict is the following?
I’m not sure if I can do well on the test. I haven’t studied enough, my knars are on edge, and feel faint. I’m wondering if I should even bother to take the test.
47 introduces the story’s characters, setting, and conflict
48 sequence of events in a story
49 the character in conflict with the main character
50 A conflict in which a character struggles against some outside force, such as another person, nature or society.
51 The following is what stage of plot development? In a little while the Wolf woke up. 'Oh dear,' he thought. 'I must be getting old! I can't even eat a little girl and her grandma without feeling as though my tummy was full of stones!' The Wolf gave a great big belch and staggered out of the door. 'I don't think I'll ever eat humans again. They don't agree with me!
52 The following is what stage of plot development?
'Well, let's hurry then, 'said the Wolf. 'You go this way, and I'll go the other way, and let's see who reaches your Grandma first!' So saying the Wolf vanished into the forest. He ran as fast as he could and took all the shortcuts he knew so as to reach Grandma's little cottage before Red Riding Hood.
53 The following is what stage of plot development?
The woodcutter picked up a pair of Grandma's scissors lying on the table, and deftly cut open the sleeping Wolf's tummy
54 stories told from 1st person, 3rd person limited, or 3rd person omniscient
55 The following is what stage of plot development?
Little Red Riding Hood gave her Grandma the custard and the pot of butter her mother had sent, and a huge big hug from herself. Grandma was well and strong very soon. As for Little Red Riding Hood herself, she never forgot her mother's advice again!
56 The following is told from what point of view?
“Mary examined the old man. He was wounded from a gun shot, and blood was oozing from the wound. I’ve got to get helped, she thought. I’ll call Doc Kramer. He’ll know what to do.” The man lay motionless. No one knew him, where he’d been, or his business here in Tombstone.
57 The following is told from what point of view?
“I can’t stand insects. They crawl all over me, bite me, and sting me. They are a down right nuisance.
58 In the classic fairy tale, “Little Red Riding Hood” Little Red Riding Hood is this type of character.
Terms Related Primarily with Poetry