Reading Mid TermThing to remember

Context Clues:

Remember to look for punctuation clues.

Pay attention to “show me” words that help tell the meaning through example.

Can you figure out the meaning of the word ascetic?

The young monk led a very ascetic existence. He rose at five in the morning, spent an hour in prayer and then sat down to a simple breakfast of grains and fruit. The rest of the day was spent in prayer and work until he ate a light supper and retired at eight.

Approximate definition:

A. simple

B. horrifying

C. luxurious

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Definition–the word is defined directly and clearly in the sentence in which it appears.“ The arbitrator, the neutral person chosen to settle the dispute, arrived at her decision.”Antonym (or contrast)–often signaled by the words whereas, unlike, or as opposed to.“Unlike Jamaal’s room, which was immaculate, Jeffrey’s room was very messy.”“Whereas Melissa is quite lithe, her sister is clumsy and awkward.”Synonym (or restatement)–other words are used in the sentence with similar meanings.“The slender woman was so thin her clothes were too big on her.Inference–word meanings are not directly described, but need to be inferred from the context.“Walt’s pugnacious behavior made his opponent back down.”“ The man gigged the large fish, but he needed his friend to enlarge the hole to drag it out of the frigid water.”

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS:

Eliza made dinner. She set the plate in front of her little brother, Oscar. He scrunched up his nose and stared at the plate for a long time. Finally he took his fork and poked at the leaves on his plate. Oscar played with his food for a few minutes, but he didn't even take one bite.

Do you have to be a mind reader to draw a conclusion here?

A test question that asks you to draw a conclusion will ask you to figure out something that is not being directly stated. Use information in the passage as well as what you already know to help you answer the question. KEY WORDS to look for are: you can tell, determine, or conclude.

Drawing conclusions and making inferences and making predictions are similar because both involve inferential thinking. One difference, however, is that conclusions and inferences relate to things that have already happened but aren’t directly stated, whereas predictions relate to things that haven’t happened yet but will probably happen in the future.

Today’s practice is on pages 90-91questions 13-16.Remember yesterday’s rule about answering these type of test questions (previous slide).

An Author’s purpose is to do one of 4 things:• ENTERTAIN• INFORM or EXPLAIN• PERSUADE• DESCRIBE

• Let’s Practice

There are a few key words associated with the author's purpose. If you can master these bad boys, then you'll have a much easier time answering those reading comprehension questions on your next standardized test, mostly because these key words are often used in those questions! Bonus!Compare: Author wanted to show similarities between ideasContrast: Author wanted to show differences between ideasCriticize: Author wanted to give a negative opinion of an ideaDescribe/Illustrate: Author wanted to paint a picture of an ideaExplain: Author wanted to break down an idea into simpler termsIdentify/List: Author wanted to tell the reader about an idea or series of ideasIntensify: Author wanted to make an idea greaterSuggest: Author wanted to propose an idea

If you can master these skills, you will ace your test!