Reading Review for the AHSGE From,
Passing the Alabama Graduation
Examination in Reading, American Book
Company
 Definition:
 The
main idea is the central point or
controlling idea of a passage
 It
is sometimes stated directly in the
title, beginning, or end of a passage.
 Other times, however, it may only be
implied, rather than directly stated.
 You
may need to determine the implied
main idea in a passage of several
paragraphs; the main idea will summarize
all of the facts and ideas in the passage.

Read the title of the passage.


Read the entire paragraph or passage.


You’ll get an overview of who or what the selection is
about.
Read the first and last sentence of each
paragraph.


The main topic for the paragraph or passage is often
mentioned in the title.
Most of the key words and ideas will be stated in these
places.
Choose the answer that is the best statement or
restatement of the paragraph or passage.

Your choice should contain the key words mentioned in
the title, the first sentences, or the last sentences in
each paragraph of the passage.
 Read

The title will help you identify the topic of the
selection.
 Read

the title.
the entire paragraph or passage.
You’ll get a general understanding of the selection.
 Reread
the facts and details in each
paragraph.

Think of overall ideas that they share in common.
 Choose
the answer that summarizes all of the
facts and ideas in the passage.

Confirm your choice by going back to the passage
to check your evidence one more time.
 Locating
details is an essential skill for
reading comprehension.
 Definition:

The ability to identify facts, reasons, and examples
that support the main idea in a paragraph or
passage.
 You
will need to be able to recognize
sequence of events in a story as well as
understand cause-effect relationships in a
passage.
Read the passage carefully.
 Scan the passage to answer the questions with
the 5 W’s or H.







Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
How ?
Match key works in your choice of answers with
those in the passage.
 Always confirm your answer by going back to the
passage.

Questions dealing with a sequence of events or
directions require you to make connections
between events, observations, or instructions in a
passage.
 Passages can follow one of three logical orders:

Chronological order- events are presented in time
order starting from the first event, then going to the
second event, third event, etc.
 Order of importance- details are organized either from
least important to most important, or vice versa.
 Spatial order- top to bottom, left to right, clockwise,
near to far, front to back, etc.

 Skim

the passage.
Look for key words that indicate a sequence of
events or directions.
 Read
the passage.
 Read the question and scan the sequences to
find the answer.
 Try to match key words from the question with
the events or directions in the passage.
 Check your answer against the evidence in
the selection.
 Authors
sometimes explain a topic by
including the causes or reasons for an event
and the effects or results of an event.
 Passages about cause-effect relationships
may center on stories, science, history, or
news events.
 Read
the passage.
 Look for key words that signal hat the
passage is about causes or effects.

Note any key words in the questions that suggest
a cause or effect would be an answer.
 Scan
for the answer, and use the text to
confirm your response
By analyzing the phrases and signal words that
come before or after the underlined word, you can
often figure out its meaning.
Context Clues
Signal Words
Comparison
Also, likewise, resembling, too, both
Contrast
But, however, until, instead of, yet, while
Definition or
Restatement
Is, or, that is, in other words, which
Example
For example, for instance, such as, as dash
or colon
 An
analogy is a partial or limited similarity
between groups of words or ideas.

Two things, essentially different in nature, that
possess something in common can make an
analogy.
 An
inference is information not directly stated
in a passage.


It is generally stated in a passage
Example: If you notice a dog wagging its tail as
you walk toward it, you would infer that it is
friendly and eager to meet you.

The dog doesn’t say anything, but its behavior suggests
it is friendly.
 Read
the passage twice.
 Read the question and all the answer choices.
 Choose your answer based on the stated
facts or clues in the passage.
Drawing an inference is making an educated
guess based on facts and details in a passage.
 A generalization is a specific type of inference in
which you apply knowledge in a passage to new
situations that are related.
 Drawing a conclusion is an inference skill where
you form a judgment or opinion based on the
details in a passage.
 Predictions involve thoughts or actions that could
continue beyond the passage (known as applying
idea).
 The meaning of a passage is a sentence that
contains the message in a passage.

 Read
the passage carefully.
 Reread the passage for details.
 Choose the statement that best expresses the
meaning of the passage.
A
fact is a true statement that can be proven
by observation, statistics, or research.
 An opinion is a judgment or viewpoint about a
person, place, event, or idea.
 Fact:
Many vegetables contain vitamins and
minerals that are essential to health.
 Opinion: Vegetables are easy to cook and are
delicious.
 Fact: Oprah Winfrey was born in Kosciuska,
Mississippi, on January 29, 1954.
 Opinion: Oprah is my favorite TV talk show.
 Facts
state information based on observation,
statistics, or research.
 Opinions express a personal viewpoint or
belief about a person, place, event, or idea.


Opinions contain adjectives like: best, worst,
favorite, dishonest, etc
Opinions sometimes include phrases such as: I
feel, I think, my view, my opinion, etc.
 Analyzing
literature improves your
understanding of what you are reading.

This will help you think critically about reading
selections taken from speeches, short stories,
poems, plays, articles, essays, ads, and editorials.
An argument often presents opinions that have a
positive or negative slant.
 An advertisement tries to persuade you to
purchase a product such as a car or a service
such as trash collection.
 An editorial presents a viewpoint on a
controversial issue such as violence on television
or raising the speed limits.
 A valid argument contains good logic, solid
evidence, or clear reasons and examples form the
reading selection.
 A fallacy or false argument contains poor logic,
weak evidence, or faulty reasons and examples
from the reading selection.

 Identify

It will generally appear near the beginning of the
selection, but it may also appear at the end as a
conclusion.
 Read

the opinion or viewpoint on the issue.
the supporting reasons for the opinion
Decide whether the reasons or examples support
the argument.

Jumping to Conclusions is a claim with little proof to support it.
 (Vote for the people’s choice! Sun Soap is the best!)

Ad Hominem is attacking the person rather than his or her ideas.
 (Bill dresses like a nerd! How could he run for president of
Student Council?)

Circular Argument is when part of an argument is used as evidence
to support it.
 (Looks are more important than talent because looks mean
everything.)

Testimonial is when famous persons endorse a product, even
though they aren’t experts.
 (Bill Cosby loves Jell-O; Robin Williams drives a Prius.)

Either-Or Fallacy is when there are only two sides to an issue.
 (Either we eliminate all weapons from this earth, or we’ll blow
each other up.)
 Testimonials
are a frequently used technique
in which famous persons endorse a product
even though they are not qualified as experts.
 Transfer is a technique in which the public’s
feelings on one thing are somehow connected
to another unrelated thing.
 In-Crowd Appeal is a kind of flattery which
encourages viewers to identify with an
admired, envied group.
 Bandwagon is a technique in which the reader
is made to feel that a great movement is
beginning.

To inform.


To entertain


(convey uncertainty)
To motivate.


(communicate emotions through words)
To create suspense.


(teach concepts and facts)
To describe feelings.


(urge action on an issue)
To instruct.


(amuse or offer enjoyment)
To persuade.


(present facts and data)
(incite)
To cause doubt.

(be skeptical)

To describe an event


To teach a lesson


(establish atmosphere)
To relate an adventure


(describe a person’s traits)
To create a mood


(furnish knowledge)
To introduce a character


(narrate through series of events)
(tell an exciting story)
To share a personal experience

(tell about an event in your life)
 Structural
Devices refer to elements that help
you understand a story, poem, or play.

These devices include plot, character, setting,
point of view, mood, and theme or interpretation.
 Plot
is a pattern of events in a story leading to
a conclusion.
 Climax is the turning point in a story
 Conflict is the struggle between different
forces in a story.

(can be with nature, one’s self, with others, or with
society)
 Foreshadowing
is clues or hints of events to
come.
 Suspense is anticipation about what will
happen in a story.
 Setting


include the place and time in a story.
Place is the location where a story takes place.
Time is when the story occurs.
 Character
is an imaginary person that
appears in a literary work.


Antagonist is an opponent or rival of the hero.
Protagonist is the hero or main character.
 Dialogue
is a conversation between two
people in a story .
 Narrator is the person telling a story.

Point of view is the perspective form which a
writer tells a story.


First person point of view is when the narrator
tells the story from the “I” point of view.


Harper Lee writes To Kill A Mockingbird from the point
of view of Scout, a young girl living in a small town in
Alabama.
In House on Mango Street, Esperanza tells her story
as the main character.
Third person point of view is when the writer tells
the story describing characters as “he,” “she,” or
“they.”

Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle is an example of
this point of view.
 Mood

is the atmosphere of a literary work.
The writer creates a mood through details in the
setting and plot.
 Tone
is a feeling or attitude conveyed to the
reader in a work of literature.
Angry
 Anxious
 Beguiling
 Boring
 Calm
 Cynical
 Depressed
 Disgusting
 Dramatic
 Expectant
 Fearful
 Gloomy
 Happy

Humorous
 Hysterical
 Lackadaisical
 Lethargic
 Lighthearted
 Lofty
 Macabre
 Mocking
 Nervous
 Optimistic
 Pensive
 Pessimistic
 Poetic

Relaxed
 Remorseful
 Sad
 Satirical
 Suspenseful
 Sympathetic
 Tearful
 Tense
 Threatening
 Tragic

 Theme
or interpretation is the message or
meaning in a story, poem, or play.


The reader is then able to gain insights into
literature and life.
Examples:


The theme of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “We Wear the
Mask” is that we all must wear masks that hide our true
selves.
One interpretation of Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour”
is that life is full of surprises that can kill you.
 Study
the definitions and examples of plot,
character, setting, point of view, mood, and
theme from this section.
 Rhetorical
Devices are ways of expressing
ideas that are unusual.


Writers use rhetorical devices to achieve special
effects in a passage.
These effects are achieved by how the authors
arrange their words.
 These
devices can be found in poetry, stories,
essays, speeches, editorials, and
advertisements.
 Alliteration
 Analogy
 Euphemisms
 Hyperbole
 Metaphor
 Onomatopoeia
 Personification
 Rhyme
 Simile

Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonants in
lines of poetry or prose.



Analogy is a comparison between two things or ideas.


“Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,” – Langston Hughes
“Perfected poems, powerful punch lines/ Pummeling petty
powder puffs in my prime” - Blackalicious
Comparing life to a journey; comparing students in a
school to members of a family
Euphemisms is using mild words to describe
something instead of using offensive or sexist words.




Passed away for “died”
Perspire for “sweat
Restroom for “bathroom”
Sanitation engineer for “trash man”

Hyperbole is an exaggeration to create an effect.
“I would rather die than eat Brussels sprouts!”
 I was so surprised you could knock me over with a
feather!


Metaphor is a direct comparison between two
unlike things without using the words “like” or “as.”



The sun was a ball of fire.
The Beatles song “Blackbird,” written during the Civil
Rights era, encourages racial equality by the metaphor
of a blackbird learning to fly.
Onomatopoeia- words whose sound suggests
their meaning.


Splash, buzz, hiss, boom
“The moan of doves in immemorial elms;/ And
murmuring of innumerable bees,” - Tennyson

Personification- giving human qualities to something
not human



Rhyme- occurs when groups of words have the same
sounds


“As she sang softly at the evil face of the moon,” –Jean
Toomer
“The oak trees whispered softly in the night breeze,” –
John Steinbeck
“The old horse thrust his long head out,/ And grave with
wonder gazed about:” –Whittier
Simile- comparison between two things using “like” or
“as”



“Sometimes I feel like a motherless child” – African
American Spiritual
Cute as a button
“I’m like a bird/ I’ll only fly away” –Nelly Furtado
 Study
the definitions and examples of
alliteration, analogy, euphemisms, hyperbole,
metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification,
rhyme, and simile.
 Read the literary selection at least twice.
 Try to summarize the selection in your own
words.
 Decide which answer best describes the
structural or rhetorical device you are asked
to find.
 Choose your answer, and then confirm it by
going back to the selection.
 Writers
use many different forms of literature
to communicate their messages. Some of
these forms have been used for centuries,
while others are more recent inventions.

Nonfiction, biography, autobiography, fiction,
novel, short story, poem, fantasy, science fiction,
mystery, romance, allegory, epic, fable, tall tale,
folk tale, myth, legend

Nonfiction- writing that is intended or appears to
be based entirely on facts.


Biography- the account of a person’s life as
written by someone besides that person.


Magazine articles, newspaper reports, economics
books, scientific journals, biographies, autobiographies
William Roper’s The Life of Sir Thomas Moore and
Walter Isaacsons’ Einstein: His Life and Universe
Autobiography- the account of a person’s life as
written by that person, sometimes called memoir.

Helen Keller’s The Story of My Life and Barack
Obama’s The Audacity of Hope

Fiction- narrative writing drawn from imagination,
though the story may be based on history and
fact; most frequently associated with novels and
short stories.


Novel- an extended fictional narrative.


Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter and J.K.
Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies, which is under
200 pages long, to Marcel Proust’s 4,800-page In
Search of Lost Time
Short story- a short piece of fictional narrative,
anywhere from 20,000 to 200 words (or less).

Stephen King’s “Shawshank Redemption,” and Philip
K. Dick’s “Minority Report”

Poem- writing that contains audible qualities and
meaning, with conventions like rhyme and rhythm, in
addition to characteristics of other genres.


Fantasy- stories that take place in imaginary worlds,
often featuring magic and Medieval elements


Robert Frost’s “The Road Less Traveled,” Langston
Hughes’ “Harlem,” and any songs with lyrics
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis’s The
Chronicles of Narnia trilogies
Science fiction- similar to fantasy writing, but is often
set in the future and relies on speculative scientific
explanations for events, rather than magic.

Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend and many comic book
stories
 Mystery-
stories that rely on suspense, plot
puzzles, and clues to maintain audience
interest

Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Ultimatum and the
Lost TV series
 Romance
stories focusing on passionate love
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Nicholas
Sparks’s The Notebook
 Allegory-
a story, in which characters and
events are mostly metaphor, that is meant to
teach a lesson

The parables of Jesus and George Orwell’s
Animal Farm

Epic a long narrative poem that presents the
adventures of mighty characters, including a
heroic central figure


Fable- a brief tale that centers on a moral lesson,
often using a lot of personification



Beowulf and Homer’s The Odyssey
The works of Aesop
http://www.aesopfables.com/aesopsel.html
Tall tale- a highly exaggerated story from the
North American frontier that uses realistic
language to describe its often superhuman
characters
the tales of Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett, and Johnny
Appleseed
 http://www.paulbunyantrail.com/talltale.html

 Fairy
tale- a simple story set in the past, often
involving supernatural events and characters.

“Hansel and Gretel” and “Little Red Riding Hood”
 Myth-
supernatural stories used by a culture
to explain the world around and to provide
ancient explanations for things from the
beginning of existence to morality to war and
love.

Stories of Greek gods and goddesses, the
Egyptian Book of the Dead

Folk tale- stories that explain things about a
culture, like the traditions, holidays, humor, laws,
and proverbs of a particular group of people, often
featuring exaggerated versions of real people.


“The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “Rip Van Winkle,” and
the story of a young George Washington saying “I
cannot tell as lie” about cutting down his father’s cherry
tree
Legend- stories somewhat based on real people
and events, sharing many elements with myths
and folk tales, often coming in many versions by
many different writers, with some striving for
realism and some including supernatural
elements.

Robin Hood, King Arthur, the City of Atlantis, and the
Loch Ness Monster
 Special


Note:
Many genres in this list are kinds of fiction, but
many also contain elements of nonfiction such as
references to real people and events.
Remember: combinations of these genres are
always possible. A writer could create a science
fiction novel, an allegorical short story, a mythic
poem, or anything else imaginable.