What to Expect How to Proceed Through the Section Types of Questions.

What to ExpectHow to Proceed Through the

SectionTypes of Questions

One hour for 45-60 objective questionsSelections from fiction or nonfiction and

from different time periods, styles and purposes

These are NOT easy readings – they are college level readings

Follow sophisticated syntaxRespond to dictionBe comfortable with upper-level

vocabularyBe familiar with rhetorical terminologyMake inferencesBe sensitive to irony and toneRecognize components of organization

and style, andBe familiar with modes of discourse

and rhetorical strategies

The selection is self-contained. You won’t need to know outside information on the subject in order to successfully answer all of the questions

Identifying Biblical and mythical allusions will help in literary texts

Take one minute to thumb through the exam and look forThe length of the selectionsThe time periods or writing styles,

of you can recognize themthe number of questions askedWhy skim through?

To get your mind in gear and know what’s expected of you in this section

• Wear a watch

•The test breaks into 15 minute sections

•The test DOES NOT become more difficult as it progresses

•Approx. 1 question per minute/all questions worth the same points

•Don’t panic if a question is beyond you. Don’t spend more than 2 min. on a question. Try, then skip it and move on.

Most people read just with their eyes – You want to slow down and read with your senses of sight, sound and touch

Underline, circle, and highlight the textRead closely, paying attention to

punctuation, syntax, diction, pacing, and organization

Read as if you are reading it aloud to an audience, emphasizing meaning and intent

Hear the words in your headUse your finger as a pointerUse all information given to you in the

passageTitle, author, dates, footnotesBe aware of thematic lines and

sensitive to details that might be question material

Go to the questions firstSkim the question. If it refers to a specific line or set of lines, go to

the passage, put a bracket (]) next to the passage, and write the question number next to it. IF the question focuses on key words, circle them in the passages as well, Like

12 It is not easy to write a familiar style. Many people mistake a familiar

for a vulgar style, and suppose that to write without affectation is to write

at random.

This will save you precious time when you go back to answer the questions because you won’t get lost in the passage. This process should take about a minute.

Start reading the passage. When you get to the bottom of the bracket (after you’ve read that part of the passage), go back to the question and attempt to answer it.

Eliminate wrong answersScrutinize each answer – looking for

faults (see the distractors below)Don’t be tricked by what sounds good

but was not in the passage. Re-read the bracketed text to be sure

you’ve got the right one.

Mark your text to keep your focus. Like this:

Which of the following words is grammatically and thematically parallel to the “tone” (line 21)?

1. “solemnity” (line 21)

2. “pulpit” (line 21)

3. “stage-declamation” (line 21)

4. “liberty” (line 21)

5. “venture” (line 22)

Once you’ve narrowed your choices to two, go back to the passage to confirm that there is evidence to support your choice. Mark your answer and move on!

a. “Au contrare” – the choice is the opposite of the right answer

b. “outside the Scope – an aspect of the choice was never mentioned in the passage; it may sound plausible, but the passage does not contain any evidence to support it

Distortion – material from another part of the passage has been incorrectly applied

Sounds good, except for ONE word. That one word invalidates the entire answer

Half right, half wrong. (Hint: Must be all right)Fits, but it is not the “best answer. This choice

may be of secondary importance. It may describe PART of the passage, but not all

1. The straightforward question• The passage is an example of

C. compare/contrast essayThe pronoun “it” refers to

2. The question that refers you to specific lines and asks you to draw a conclusion or interpret

Lines 52-57 serve toA. reinforce the author’s thesis

The ALL…EXCEPT question requires more time because it demands that you consider every possibility

Ex. The AP English Language and Composition Exam is all of the following exceptA. It is given in May of each year

B. Is it open to high school seniors C. It is published in the New York Times D. Is it used as a qualifier for college

credit E. It is a 3-hour 15 minute test

The question that asks you to make an inference or to abstract a concept not directly stated in the passage. Ex. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” the reader can infer that the speaker isE. religious

This question is problematic and time consuming. The exam will have at least a few of these.

Ex. In the passage “night” refers to I. the death of the young woman II. a pun on Sir William’s title III. The end of the affair

A. I onlyB. I and IIC. I and IIID. II and IIIE. I, II, and III

Tip: Skip if it causes you problems or if you are short on time.

Remember that you are way smarter than your are giving yourself credit for at this very moment.

The brain, the heart and the soul all do better with oxygen, and confidence tends to fill us with our own fresh air, and that’s the best kind. May 11th is your day. Whether you

pass the test or not, you have won because you have joined the tradition started by the great minds and rhetoricians of old. Never again will you read or hear others’ words without examining their meaning, their bias and their intent.

“Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men.” Plato