This Sol Review Packet Belongs to:

______

Before you take the test, you have to be prepared. Here are some tools to help you do the very best you can:

Read the questions before you read the passage. This way you know what to look for while you’re reading the passage.

Slash the trash. Get rid of any answers that you know won’t work.

Be slick and predict.Think of the answer before looking at the choices

Jail the detail.Identify, underline or circle keywords in the question.

Extra! Extra! READ! READ all the choices. Don’t skip or scan over ANY part of the test.

Plug it in! Plug it in!Plug in all answers to see if they make sense.

Be smart with charts, and zap the maps!Study all information provided. Read the key and the labels.

Keep on keeping on! Don’t give up! Give each question your best attention.

Be a whiz with the grid!Be VERY careful when bubbling in your answer.

Check it out!Go back and check your work one more time!

IF you snooze, you lose!Don’t leave any question unanswered.

Main Idea

  1. Despite the hatred that most people feel toward cockroaches, they do help humans in several ways. For example, they are perfect experimental animals and are used for scientific research in the laboratory. Breeding them is easy, for they thrive under almost any condition. In studies on nutrition and food, cockroaches are good subjects because they will eat any kind of food. They can be used to study heart disease, and cancer researchers work with roaches because they grow cancerous tumors like those that are found in humans.

Which sentence in the paragraph contains the main idea?

a) in the first sentence
b) in the second sentence
c) in the third sentence
d) in the fourth sentence
e) in the last sentence

2. Making a study schedule is one important step in becoming a successful student in college. Students should schedule one hour of study time for every one hour of class time. At exam time, more study time may be necessary. Also, students must study in an appropriate place. It is important to study in a quiet place away from the distraction of other people and such things as the television and the radio. Students should find a comfortable place with plenty of space for all the necessary study supplies. Then, students need to study the information in small amounts. It is a good idea to learn the required concepts slowly and thoroughly instead of trying to learn everything on the evening before the exam. Students who want to be successful in college should remember these three helpful study strategies.

Which sentence in the paragraph contains the main idea?

a) in the first sentence
b) in the second sentence
c) in the third sentence
d) in the fourth sentence
e) in the last sentence

Summarizing and Paraphrasing

What is the best definition of summarizing?

  1. Shortening a story to make more sense for the reader
  2. restating the information in a shortened form; focusing on the most important information
  1. restating the information in your own words; it is about the same length as the original reading selection.
  1. focusing on the most important information and adding detail

What is the best definition of paraphrasing?

  1. restating the information in your own words; it is about the same length as the original reading selection.
  2. Plagiarize what an author writes
  3. Restating the whole story in a new extended form
  1. restating the information in a shortened form; focusing on the most important information

Read the flowing paragraph

In 1588, the Spanish Armada sailed to fight against England. The Armada consisted of a fleet of 130 ships. Aboard one of these ships was a tailless cat. Her job was to catch mice. After a great naval battle that England dominated, the Spanish ships set sail for home. The cat’s ship was wrecked near the Isle of Man. The nimble cat got ashore safely and lived there ever after. Her many descendants become known as Manx cats after the name of their island home. Manx cats are known for being tailless.

  1. What was unusual about the cat in the Spanish Armada?______
  2. What happened to the cat’s ship?______
  3. Where did the cat end up living? ______
  4. The title that best summaries this paragraph is
  5. Why some cats are tailless
  6. Why the Spanish lost at sea
  7. How the Manx cat got its name
  8. Catching mice aboard a ship
  1. Use your answers above to create a summary:

______

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Figurative Language

Write an example of metaphor ______

Write an example of simile ______

Write an example of personification ______

Write an example of alliteration ______

Write an example of a couplet ______

______

Write an example of hyperbole ______

What is a haiku? ______

What is a limerick? ______

What is repetition? ______

Write a quatrain with an ABAB rhyme scheme

______

“If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right.” Mary Kay Ash

Each sentence displays a type of figurative language. Circle the letter of the answer that BEST identifies that line of figurative language.

  1. "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”

A: Metaphor

B: Simile

C: Personification

D: Hyperbole

  1. "Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark innyard."

A: Alliteration

B: Simile

C: Personification

D: Metaphor

  1. "But the stars came out and they danced about ere again I ventured near"

A: Metaphor

B: Simile

C: Personification

D: Hyperbole

  1. "See the red berries...fallen like little footprints on the garden snow"

A: Metaphor

B: Simile

C: Personification

D: Hyperbole

  1. "The sea is a hungry dog, giant and gray."

A: Metaphor

B: Simile

C: Personification

D: Hyperbole

  1. "The angels, not half so happy in heaven, went envying her and me"

A: Alliteration

B: Simile

C: Metaphor

D: Imagery

“It doesn't matter if you try and try and try again, and fail.

It does matter if you try and fail, and fail to try again.” Charles Kettering

  1. "When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon the seas”

A: Metaphor

B: Simile

C: Personification

D: Hyperbole

  1. "so gently you came rapping, so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door."

A: Rhyme

B: Personification

C: Onomatopoeia

D: all of the above

  1. "Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter"

A: Alliteration

B: Rhyme

C: none of the above

D: both A and B

Michael Jordan:
”I've failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”

  1. "Slowly, silently, now the moon walks the night in her silver shoon; This way, and that, she peers and sees silver fruit upon silver trees."

A: Metaphor

B: Simile

C: Personification

D: Hyperbole

  1. “Imagery” is the same thing as…

A: Sensory Details

B: Theme

C: Figurative language

D: Hyperbole

“Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher.”

~ Oprah Winfrey

Word Meanings From Context

Use the context to help you determine the correct meaning of each underlined word.

1. Murphy Mole is the protagonist in the new novel by Trent Troll. Murphy must stop Oscar Rat and Shrimpy Shark from enslaving the inhabitants of Lazy Woods Park. He risks his life in a series of events that lead to a final battle between good and evil.

What is a protagonist?

a. the main character of a story
b. an animal that lives underground
c. someone whose first and last names start with the same letter
d. someone with bad body odor

2. I just can’t beat Paula when we play chess! Every time I make a move that should lead me to victory, she makes a better move that thwarts my plan.

If you thwart a robbery, you ______.

a. commit a crime
b. stop a crime from happening
c. imagine a theft
d. give warts to a thief

3. Don’t feel stupid. Yes, you thought this worthless replica was a valuable work of art. But it even fooled a lot of experts. It certainly looked like the real thing!

A replica is ______.

a. a dishonest act
b. something ugly
c. anything that has no value
d. a copy

4. Your poster is very good. The drawing really lets people know what our club is all about. I do think that you could enhance it by adding some more color. That will tend to grab everyone’s attention.

When you enhance something, you ______.

a. draw it
b. throw it out
c. ruin it
d. make it better

Mark Twain:
”Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

5. The signal from the cable is too strong for our television. We’ll have to use a filter to attenuate it.

When you attenuate something, you ______.

a. watch it carefully
b. take good care of it
c. make it be less
d. get past it

  1. “If you knew the gravity of the situation, you wouldn’t be laughing,” Mr. Farmer said quietly. He didn’t have to say more to get everyone’s attention.

What does “gravity” mean in this context?

a. a force that draws different objects toward each other
b. seriousness
c. humor
d. enjoyable, or comfortable

  1. Her cardinal rule is this: Be kind to others! She believes that everything else in life will fall properly into place if one follows that rule. What does “cardinal” mean in this context.

a. main, or most important
b. red
c. like a bird
d. not worth remembering

  1. The owner of the restaurant wouldn’t allow Samantha to walk through the door. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but you started a food fight the last time you were here. You may not have ingress to my restaurant!”

What does “ingress” mean in this selection?

a kind of bird that lives by the sea
b. any food that can be thrown
c. a good price for a meal
d. the right to enter

“The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.”Abraham Lincoln

Point of View

The Presidential Campaign

I am an American. Perhaps that makes me a little biased, but I believe that the American presidency is the most important job in the world. It’s a job that goes up for grabs every four years. The candidate who wins in November of 2000 will take office the following January and be the first new U.S. president of the twenty- first century.
The election campaign is a long one. Some say it begins right after the election and goes on for the next four years. That’s probably an exaggeration, but it does last a long time. Those who have their eyes on the job have to start gathering support and building campaign organizations early.
Some believe that the campaign for president should be shorter. I disagree. A long campaign is an endurance contest. It gives the candidates a chance to show their strengths and forces them to betray their weaknesses. The extended scrutiny makes it much less likely that the voters will accidentally choose an unqualified candidate to be their leader.
Personally, I enjoy the contest. It’s a marathon that produces a winner who may have a profound effect on all our lives. You can have your playoffs and your championships; the debates, primaries, conventions, and November election are the sporting events that really matter!

Read the following statements. Based on the author’s essay, decide what his opinion would probably be. Write “agree” after the statement if he would most likely agree with the statement. Write “disagree” if he would most likely disagree.

1. America has lost its importance in the world. ______

2. The U.S. presidential election should be limited to six months. ______

3. Political debates are always boring. ______

4. Longer campaigns produce more qualified winners. ______

5. Politics is more important than sports. ______

6. Sometimes it takes time to realize that an attractive candidate would be a poor choice. ______

7. The president of the United States must be able to handle a difficult and important job. ______

8. Politics can be entertaining. ______

Author’s Purpose

What is author’s purpose?______

Give an example of each purpose:

Describe:______

Entertain:______

Inform:______

Persuade:______

Jim was unable to get to sleep. When he went to bed he cried. Tomorrow is his birthday party and it is going to be ruined. How can we go sledding with no snow? The next morning, when Jim got out of bed and ran to the window, he shouted with glee, "The snow has fallen and we can go sledding!" Jim was happy because now he can have his birthday sledding party.

What is the author’s purpose?

  1. Describe
  2. Entertain
  3. Inform
  4. Persuade

Everyone should have a pet. Pets are very loving and affectionate. They help children learn responsibility. Pets give you unconditional love. Having a pet is a wonderful experience.

What is the author’s purpose?

  1. Describe
  2. Entertain
  3. Inform
  4. Persuade

There are three lights on a traffic light. The top light is red and that means stop. The middle light is yellow and that means caution. The bottom light is green and that means go.

What is the author’s purpose?

  1. Describe
  2. Entertain
  3. Inform
  4. Persuade

Vocabulary- Prefixes/Suffixes

Write what each of these suffixes and prefixes mean AND write a word that contains each suffix/prefix.

  1. Pre-:
  1. Bi-:
  1. Sub-:
  1. Post-:
  1. –ian/-or:
  1. Re-:
  1. –less:
  1. Uni-:
  1. Un-:
  1. hemi-/semi-:
  1. .-ance and –ence:
  1. –able:

In the word “unknowledgeable”,

  1. What is the prefix:
  1. What is the suffix:
  1. What is the root/base word:

Vocabulary- Plot Structure

  1. Who is the antagonist in Cinderella? ______
  1. What is a theme from Cinderella? ______
  1. Who tells the story when it’s written in first person? ______
  1. Who tells the story when it’s written in third person? ______
  1. What is the difference between direct and indirect characterization?

Direct characterization:______

Indirect characterization:______

  1. Is Cinderella a static or dynamic character? ______
  1. What is the main conflict in Cinderella? ______
  1. What is it called when the sequence of events stops and returns to a prior time? ______

Vocabulary- Synonyms and Antonyms

  1. Brainstorm at least 5 synonyms for “good” ______
  1. Brainstorm at least 5 antonyms for “good” ______
  1. A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. Give me two sets of homophones. ______

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Analogies

  1. HEART:PUMP::

A)lungs:collapse

B)stomach:digest

C)appendix:burst

D)intestine:twist

E)teeth:ache

  1. STANZA:POEM::

A)paragraph:essay

B)story:building

C)mural:painting

D)program:recital

E)rhyme:prose

  1. YAWN:BORDOM::

A)dream:sleep

B)anger:madness

C)smile:amusement

D)face:expression

E)impatience:rebellion

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References

  1. If I needed to know how to spell a word, I would use this book:______
  1. When using a dictionary, the ______help you locate your word.
  1. If I need a synonym for the word “thrilling”, I would use this book:______
  1. If I was doing research on Walt Disney, this type of reference book would be the best to use: ______
  1. If I was researching candidates for the Presidential election, this type of reference would give me the most CURRENT information:

______

  1. What word would be on the page in the dictionary that had the guide words

“acrobat: assemble”

A)astronaut

B)assembly

C)aphids

D)abnormal

  1. If I needed a map of Loudoun County, I would use this reference book:

______

  1. If I need to know the population of Orlando, Florida, I would look in this reference book:

______

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Sequence of Events

Directions:

Read the story below. Then place the number (starting with 1) on the lines below to correctly order the events as they happened in the story.

Once there was a genie named Janie. Janie was a normal genie that gives you three wishes. One day Janie went to give this little boy named John three wishes. Now John was an unhappy little boy. So when Janie gave him three wishes John's first wish was for a lion. The lion was very big and crushed all of John's toys. John was so unhappy.

John's little sister was loud, so John's second wish was that his sister would be gone. One rainy day John was bored. He asked his mom if she could play with him but his mom said she had to wash the dishes. John then asked his dad but his dad was reading the newspaper. John was really really unhappy. The lion crushed all his toys so he couldn't play with them. John wished he had his sister back and the lion went away. He told Janie what he wanted. John learned the lesson "be careful what you wish for." Janie is a genie that gives three wishes but also teaches kids a lesson.

PLACE THE EVENTS IN THE CORRECT SEQUENCE BY USING THE NUMBERS 1-6:

______John wished his sister would be gone.

______The lion crushed all of John's toys.

______John was granted three wishes by Janine.

______John's Mom told him he had to do the dishes.

______John wished for a Lion.

______John wished his sister came back.

Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions