In
Close Reading exams, similar to the close reading exercises you have completed,
you will be given a variety of types of questions. Among the most frequently
asked questions are ones dealing with words. Sometimes you have to take the
writer’s words and put the meaning into your own words, these are called
(surprise, surprise) “In your own words” questions. Sometimes you have to identify
HOW the author’s words work, for instance: what they imply. These are called “word
choice”
questions.
Below are some actual questions from exams you can use to familiarize yourself with the technique of answering them. What you do not finish in class, finish at home.
TIPS FOR “IN YOUR OWN WORDS” questions:
1)
Identify,
before you write an answer, WHICH words or phrases you are to gloss (that means
interpret).
2)
Choose
your own words or expressions that convey the same or similar concept. When
answering in your own words you MUST NOT use the words OR a form of the words
from the text
3)
If
the marks spread is 2 /1 /0 the marker is looking for TWO bits of
information. That means you need to gloss TWO aspects of the phrase (not the
same one twice!). If you gloss only one, you get only one mark.
4)
DO
NOT REPEAT THE WORDS OF THE QUESTION
Here
is an EXAMPLE with both the text you need and the related question. The text is from a story about a family of tourists visiting Dracula’s Castle.
Text
is black. Questions are in red italics.
1. The eldest,
Matthew, who had been taunting his younger brothers about being scared five
minutes earlier…
Q: Explain, in your own words, how
Matthew had been treating his younger brothers.
_________________________________________________2/1/0
You
should identify “taunting” and “scared” as the words you need to gloss.
(Two
words because it’s a 2/1/0 ) Your answer should be something like this:
A:
He teased them because they were frightened.
You get 1 mark for teased, 1 mark for frightened.
You get 1 mark for teased, 1 mark for frightened.
Teased
is a gloss of “taunting” and frightened is a gloss of “scared”.
If
you wrote “He was taunting them.”, or “He taunted them.” No marks. They are
either a lift from the text or are forms of the word. If you wrote only
“teased” you get only one mark.
Try
the next ones.
******************
2. We had decided to send their father down first as a guinea pig
to test how scary this experience was likely to be for our seven-, five- and
two-year-olds…
Q: In your own words, explain fully why their
father was sent down first.
When
it says explain fully, try to gloss as much as you can.
Fill
in the blanks below.
A: He was sent as a (or to)
_______________ how___________ the ______________ would be
for____________________.
*****************
3. In the lobby
there were… glass vials of red liquid, wooden stakes, and probably some garlic
stashed under the counter (for sale). As these tacky souvenirs revealed it
wasn’t the real Dracula’s castle (we were in) but Hotel Castel Dracula.
Q: In your own words, what is the writer’s attitude to the
various goods for sale in the hotel lobby?
A: The _________________ were
(was) ________________. 2/1/0
*****************
For
the next one, write the entire answer yourself but note the mark spread. It’s
either 2 or 0, it’s all or nothing, so you need only one piece of information.
Read the question carefully! It asks about the castle, NOT the setting.
4. The
architecture (1980s mock castle) reflected the Dracula movies but the setting
amid the dramatic scenery of the Tihuta Pass is stunning.
Q: In your own
words, what is the writer’s
opinion of the Hotel Castel Dracula?
A:___________________________________________________________________ 2/0
*****************
5. One of the best meals was at the Count Dracula Club.
Once the children got over the fear of the stuffed bears and stags on the walls
and dog head skulls hanging from the ceiling, the food was fantastic…
Q: In your own words explain how the boys felt at the
start of their visit to the Count Dracula Club. Why did they feel this way?
A:____________________________________________________________________ 2/1/0
*****************
Now
that you are a pro at “In your own words questions” it’s time to try “word
choice
questions”. In these, you are given the meaning or effect of a word or phrase
and you have to choose the words from the text that deal with that meaning or effect.
Here
is an example:
The
following text is from a story about students and teachers who need to prepare
themselves for the first day of school term.
1. Some time
later Twagger woke up. He listened to his dad snoring in the next room, then
heard him snort himself awake and lumber down the stairs. Twagger slid out of
bed, put his socks and trousers on and followed him.
“Get
yourself dressed. You look half-starved,” his father growled. He poured himself
some tea and trudged back up to bed.
Q: Twagger’s
father seems to be a grumpy and unenthusiastic person. How does the writer’s
word choice show this in
(i)
the
father’s speech
________________________________he growled_______________
2/0
(ii)
the
father’s movements?
_____________________he_lumbered (or)_he_trudged________
2/0
TIP:
if you are asked to deal with the writer’s word choice, you MUST quote the
writer’s word or words. DO NOT put the answer in your own words. Now try the
following questions on your own from the same story.
*****************
2. Caroline is looking for her shirt, which she
thought she had ironed last night.
Tanya
(her sister) came out of her (own) room. “It’s in Mum’s room, if you want to
know. Waiting to be ironed.”
“But I ironed it last night.
“No you didn’t, “ said Tanya, smug.
“That was mine.”
“You
brat!” shouted Caroline as her sister ran downstairs.
Q: How does the writer’s word
choice indicate that Caroline is very annoyed with her sister?
____________________________________________________________
2/0
*****************
3. By the time Mr Bead reached school it was
nine o’clock. He raced across the road… He pounded up the stairs and into the
staff-room, flung off his wet coat and draped it over the radiator, knocking
someone’s steaming glove down the back. He had to dry his hands on a
handkerchief.
Q: Give two examples
of how the writer’s word choice indicates that Mr Bead was in a
hurry.
_________________________________________________________________________
2/1/0
*****************
Here
is a slightly tougher one: hint – choose not only the words, but HOW they are used. In this case, the HOW is essential because the question asks about emphasis.
4.
“Mr. Bead! I’d like to talk to you about a boy in your form who made a habit of
missing my lessons throughout last term.”
“Oh. Twagger.”
“Whatever his name is… It mustn’t happen
again, Mr. Bead.”
“All right, Miss Grace. I’ll chase him
up again.” He watched her grey bobbing head retreat. Her voice snapped with the
rhythm of her shoes.
“Indeed, again, Mr Bead. Indeed, again.”
Q: How does the writer emphasise that Miss
Grace is not satisfied with the way Mr. Bead has dealt with Twagger before?
____________________________________________________________
2/0
ANSWERS WILL BE POSTED SUNDAY NIGHT
ANSWERS WILL BE POSTED SUNDAY NIGHT
Misss you <3 Alex MacDougall
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