MULTIPLE CHOICE

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MULTIPLE CHOICE

• READING STRATEGIES
• TYPES OF QUESTIONS
• STRATEGIES FOR SOLVING

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• READING STRATEGIES
• Understand both surface deeper-level meanings
• Determine how the following contribute to
  meaning
• Structural patterns
• Grammatical syntactical relationships
• Metaphorical language, etc.
• Describe how such features function rhetorically
• Multiple choice is textual analysis-Use same
  strategies
• for writing

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The Exam

• Passages are from17th C to Present
• Usually 4 sets of questions(4 passages)
• Balance of genre, time period, individual style

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GENERAL STRATEGIES

• Bracket by reading the questions first and
  bracketing the corresponding section for each
  question
• Before reading the answer choices jot down your
  initial response to the question then select the
  answer choice that best matches your response.
• Questions are not in order of difficulty, so
  answer easy ones first
• Questions USUALLY (but not always) follow the
  order of the passage.

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GENERAL STRATEGIES

• Process of EliminationThis is the primary tool,
  except
• for direct knowledge of the answer.
• Read the five choices.
• If no choice immediately strikes you as correct,
  you can eliminate any which are obviously
  wrong eliminate those choices which are too
  narrow or too broad eliminate illogical
  choices eliminate answers which are
  synonymous eliminate answers which cancel each
  other out.
• If two answers are close,
• find the one general enough to contain all
  aspects of the
• question
• OR
• find the one limited enough to be the detail
  the question is seeking.
•  

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GENERAL STRATEGIES

• Substitution/Fill in the Blank
• Rephrase the question, leaving a blank where
• the answer should go.
• Use each of the choices to fill in the blank
  until you find the one that is the best fi t.
• Using Context
• Use this technique when the question directs you
  to specific lines, words, or phrases.
• Locate the given word, phrase, or sentence and
  read the sentence before and after the section of
  the text to which the question refers. Often this
  provides the information or clues you need to
  make your choice.

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GENERAL STRATEGIES

• Anticipation
• As you read the passage for the first time,
• mark any details and ideas that you would
  ask a
• question about. You may second-guess the
  test
• makers this way.
• Intuition/The Educated Guess
• You have a wealth of skills and knowledge in your
  language and composition subconscious. A question
  or a choice may trigger a remembrance of things
  past. This can be the basis for your educated
  guess. Have the confidence to use the educated
  guess as a valid technique. Trust your own
  resources.

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A Survival Plan

• If time is running out and you haven't finished
  the last selection,
• 1. Scan the remaining questions and look for
• - the shortest questions and/or
• - the questions that point you to a line
• These two types of questions are relatively easy
  to work with and to verify.
• 2. Look for specific detail/definition questions.
• 3. Look for self-contained questions.
• Ex "The jail sentence was a bitter winter
  for his plan" is an example of --
• C. an analogy.
• You did not have to go to the passage to answer
  this question

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M/C Question Analyses/Protocols

• The following slides illustrate the following
• Strategies for determining the SKILL needed
  to answer a M/C question
• Strategies for ELIMINATING WRONG ANSWER
  choices
• Strategies for SELECTING THE CORRECT
  RESPONSE
• In essence, what follows are several examples of
  the type and depth of thinking that SHOULD be
  evident in Protocols. Read through them then
  follow the directions on the last slide.

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M/C Question Analysis Death of a Moth from
Holy the FirmbyAnnie Dillard
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All of the following are present in the opening
sentence EXCEPTa. subordinate clausesb. an
objective tonec. elements in a seriesd. a
typical narrative openinge. more verbs than
nouns or adjectives
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This is a FACTUAL question.The answers
address-grammar-tone-syntax/organization-mode
/organization-parts of speech
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Factual questions areeitherRIGHT or WRONG!Info
is IN TEXT.
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The correct answer is A

• STRATEGY -Reread the opening sentence, as
  question is about that sentence only

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Choice a., subordinate clause, can immediately
be eliminated.Since the question is for EXCEPT,
check the remaining items quickly to ensure they
all fit.
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Answer b., objective tone, fits. The first
sentence has no emotional content or subjective
information. I begins in the second sentence.
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Answer c., elements in a series, fits also. A
series of verbs is listed flew, caught,
burnt, and held.
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Answer d., a typical narrative opening, also
fits.Narrative uses attention getting techniques
and tells a story. The sentence definitely
arouses curiosity and tells a story.
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Finally, answer e., more verbs than nouns or
adjectives also fits.The series is a list of
verbs. In fact, there are no adjectives except
one.
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2. The fried in line 8 derives force from which
of the following?I. Its commonplace
associationsII. Its location in the
sentenceIII. Its alliterative associations with
the verbs that precede ita. II b. I II c.
I III d. II III e. I, II, III
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This question asks about DICTION.These type of
I, II, or III questions may be time
consuming.STRATEGY Decide if you can answer
the question based on the stem if not, make an
educated guess.
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This question is about diction, which you can
probably figure out Take the time to answer
it.STRATEGYReread line 8.Apply each choice
to the selection -
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First Its commonplace associationsYes. Fried
immediately conjures a sound, and heat, and
something that if alive, is no longer. Its
forceful. I is likely part of the answer.
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Next Its location in the sentence.Fried is
the last verb. It creates a strong image due to
its finality. II is in as well.
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Now III Its alliterative associations with the
verbs that precede it.Absolutely. Not only is
it rhythmic (a triad) but it has cadence. III
is also in.
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Go back to the question and find the letter of
all 3 choices E is the correct answer.
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3. The objects of the verb creating (line 10)
combine to form an impression ofa. familiar
reality imposed on an unfamiliar localb. sudden
color in a formerly monochromatic scenec.
miraculous isolation in a hostile environmentd.
ominous fragility in a threatening episodee.
supernatural inspiration of creative thought
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This is a grammatical question and a rhetorical
question what is the effect of the objects of
the verb?
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STRATEGY-Reread line 10-Identify the objects
of the verb blue sleeves, green leaves, red
trunk
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All the objects involve color.B involves
color.Try to quickly eliminate the remaining
answers before choosing B.
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A. - Eliminate. Its not an unfamiliar locale.
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C. While the sudden burst of visuals in the
previous darkness may be interesting, it is not
described as miraculous, nor are the pine and
leaves described as hostile. Eliminate.
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D. The death of the moth is perhaps highlighting
the moths fragility, and the fragility of life,
but it is not ominous or threatening.Eliminat
e.
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E. No hint of the supernatural or of
inspiration in this section.Eliminate and
choose B as the correct answer.
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Remember All that elimination needsto be
donein a few seconds!!!
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4. The phrase gone the long way of her wings and
legs (line 22) emphasizes thea. unusual
proportions of the mothb. unexpected course of
the moths deathc. irrevocable disappearance of
the moths headd. rapidity with which the fire
consumed the mothe. foulness of the lingering
smoke and burned head.
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This question addresses rhetoric (and
comprehension).STRATEGYReread line 22.Use
the process of elimination if you cannot
determine the correct answer right away.
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E. Can be eliminated almost immediately, as
proportions are not discussed, and no foulness is
indicated.
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B. The death itself is not unexpected perhaps
the head going last is, but the passage doesnt
emphasize the unexpectedness.Eliminate
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C. The head is GONE this answer has potential.
Quickly check D before selecting.Circle the
answer in your test booklet as you check the last
two answers.
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D. The death may have been rapid, but the
description is detailed and methodical,
indicating a kind of suspension of time, not
rapidity. Eliminate.
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C. Is the best choice.
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5. All of the following are true of the sentence
She kept burning (lines 30-31) EXCEPTa. its
brevity makes it emphaticb. in context, its
tone is one of awed fascinationc. in context,
the word burning means avengingd. the
feminine pronoun links the image to the
specificity of the previous paragraphe. the
feminine pronoun humanizes the moth, in
preparation for references to martyrs
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Type of question rhetorical function of a
sentence.Strategy-Reread lines
30-31-Eliminate-D E require reading before
after sentence to place in context
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Glance through the choices to see if one appears
less likely than the others.
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All choices seem logical, but C has an odd
connotation or perhaps inappropriate meaning for
burning - check C first.
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Avenging doesnt make sense in this context.
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Choice C also focuses on diction, and the
question asks about a sentence.
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Choices E D require reading backwards and
forwards to determine their correctness - and
because this is an EXCEPT question, if the answer
is correct, its not the right answer. (!)
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D E are correct.The meaning progresses
from objective detail in the preceding paragraph
to metaphorical meaning after this sentence.
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A is correct a short sentence creates emphasis.
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B is also correct. How do you know the author
is using a tone of awed fascination?
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This question requires not only a careful reading
of the sentence the question asks about, but also
the immediate context AND the larger context of
the passage.
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C is the correct answer.
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6. Which of the following best describes the
rhetorical development of the passage as a
whole?a. progress from exposition to
argumentb. development from hypothesis to
proofc. transition from sympathetic narrative to
objective descriptiond. expansion from
descriptive narration to poetic meditatione.
movement from contemplative rumination to active
participation
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This question asks about RHETORICAL MODE.What
are rhetorical modes?
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-narration-description-exposition-comparison-a
rgumentetc.
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STRATEGYFirst, eliminate the answers that are
not rhetorical modes.B E are not
rhetorical modes.B is scientific nomenclatureE
is philosophical
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If you grasped this passage, you shouldnt have
to look back to answer this question.
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A should immediately be ruled out, as there is
no argument in the passage.
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Recalling the question about the first sentence
should help to rule out C. There is no sympathy
in the narrative.
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D is correct. This question reflects your ability
to grasp the meaning and the movement of the
passage as a whole.
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Now you try

• Select 2 questions between s 7-12 that you
  missed
• Complete a thorough, reflective, analytical and
  in-depth protocol for each
• Use the models in you r AP Resource Packet as
  guides as well as the model thinking illustrated
  in this PowerPoint