MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION TYPES (content)
These types of questions which appeared on the 2001 Language and Comp test are representative of the types of questions AP test makers ask. Beneath each question type, you will find several "stems" the Test Development Committee used in asking that type of question.
1.Vocabulary in context (context clue) stems:
*As used in line 46, "wanting" is best interpreted to mean...
*In line 20, the speaker uses "christened" to mean ...
*In context, the word "offices" (line 7) is best understood to mean . . .
2.Rhetorical triangle stems:
*In the third paragraph, the speaker's primary purpose is to ...
*The speaker's primary purpose in the passage is to ...
*The intended audience for this passage is most probably ...
*The stance assumed by the speaker is most similar to which of the following?
*In lines 21-22, the speaker refers to a possible comparison between baseball players of different eras to illustrate
that...
3.Rhetorical strategy stems:
*The speaker's rhetorical strategies in the passage include all of the following EXCEPT ...
*The sentence in lines 54-62 includes all of the following EXCEPT ...
*Part of the speaker's rhetorical strategy in paragraph 1 is to ...
4.Antecedent stems:
*The antecedent of "it" (line 33) is ...
*In line 47, "it" refers to...
5.Tone stems
*Which of the following best describes the tone of the passage?
*The tone of lines 59-72 can best be described as ...
6.Function/Effect stems
*The function of the opening sentence might best be described as ...
*Which of the following statements most accurately summarizes the effect of the sentence in lines 54-62?
*The primary effect of the discussion in the second and third paragraphs (lines 13 -44) is one of...
*The speaker uses the matter of a nickname as a ...
*The italicization of "their" in line 16 suggests that...
*The use of a dash after the word “Britian” serves which of the following purposes
7.Big question stems (main idea-like, but more complicated):
*A central contrast presented in the passage is that between ...
*The passage focuses primarily on...
*Which of the following best describes the author’s view
*Considering style, tone and purpose the selection could best be characterized as
*Which of the following is not a cause that . ..
*Which of the following best presents the writer’s theme?
8.Shift stems:
*The sentence that begins in line 41 ("for our own...") marks a shift from...
9. English questions- (identify literary terms, genres, grammar terms, modes of discourse and/or text organization )
*What literary device is used to describe the new American in this sentence, “…”
* In what portion of the long, final sentence does Lincoln use epiphora?
* The paragraph beginning “. . .” can best be describes as what mode of discourse?
* All of the following rhetorical strategies are found in the passage except:
* The organization of the selection could best be characterized as. . .
* Which literary form has the author chosen to employ?
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