CAHSEE Test Strategies
San Fernando High School
The Literary Response strand is the
longest section of the test with 20
multiple-choice questions. You will be
asked questions about literary devices,
figurative language, character traits,
conflicts, and themes. You know…that
stuff you talk about every day in English
class!
The California response to literature
standards include your ability to think and
write about:
Genres (types) of literature
Figurative language and literary devices
Characters, their traits and conflicts
How a piece of literature reflects an
author’s culture and historical period
You should be able to identify different
literary genres (types), such as:
Autobiography (account of person’s life
told by that person)
Poetry
Drama (Plays)
Essay
Fiction (Novels, Short Stories)
You should be able to identify elements in
literature such as:
Metaphor
Simile
Personification
Symbolism
Irony
Theme
Mood
Tone

Making a comparison between two
UNLIKE things, using the words “like” or
“as”
“I love you like a fat kid loves cake”
“I’m as blind as a bat”
 What two things are being compared in
these similes?

Making a comparison between two UNLIKE
things WITHOUT using the words “like” or
“as”
“You are my sunshine”
“Life is a rollercoaster”
“America is a melting pot”

What two unlike things are being compared
in these quotes?

A comparison between two things that seem dissimilar, in order to show
the ways that they might be similar.
Is to
AS
Is to

“A bald spot is like a lie, the bigger it gets the harder it is to cover it up.”

“A bird is to nest as a bee is to …?”

Giving human qualities to an animal, thing, or
idea.
 They must be human qualities-can humans fly?
 The telephone screamed to be answered.
 The door flew open.
 The birds shouted their songs.
 The chair ran as I tried to sit.

An idiom is a figurative, sometimes strange,
expression that cannot be understood if taken
literally.
 Idioms are usually cultural specific

English idioms:
 “It’s raining cats and dogs”
 “The test will be a piece of cake”
 “She decided to quit cold turkey”

Spanish idioms:
 Ojos que no ven, corazon que no siente
 Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda
You should be able to identify:
Character traits (direct and indirect)
Conflicts (internal and external)
 Motivations
 Relationships between characters


Finally, you should be able to identify how
a piece of literature reflects the authors:



Culture
Style
Historical period
Read the following poem:
Now answer this question:
The Courage That My Mother Had
The courage that my mother had
Went with her, and is with her still:
Rock from New England quarried;
Now granite in a granite hill.
Which sentence BEST describes the
theme of this poem?
The golden brooch my mother wore
She left behind for me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet it is something I could spare.
B Only a daughter can truly relate to
her mother’s feelings.
Oh, if instead she’d left to me
The thing she took into the grave!—
That courage like a rock, which she
Has no more need of, and I have.
A Personal strengths are more
important than valuable objects.
C Having a golden brooch is better
than nothing.
D Unlike jewelry, traits such as
courage are not valued.
Remember that the theme is
the dominant idea running
through the passage. Also pay
attention to key words such as “I
could spare” and “if instead.”
Although all four options are
themes, some options do not
pertain to the passage.
Which sentence BEST describes the
theme of this poem?
A Personal strengths are more
important than valuable objects.
B Only a daughter can truly relate to
her mother’s feelings.
C Having a golden brooch is better
than nothing.
D Unlike jewelry, traits such as
courage are not valued.
The Courage That My Mother Had
The courage that my mother had
Went with her, and is with her still:
Rock from New England quarried;
Now granite in a granite hill.
Next question:
Which phrase from the poem creates
a tone of sadness and regret?
A “Rock from New England quarried”
The golden brooch my mother wore
She left behind for me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet it is something I could spare.
B “Oh, if instead she’d left to me”
Oh, if instead she’d left to me
The thing she took into the grave!—
That courage like a rock, which she
Has no more need of, and I have.
D “That courage like a rock”
C “The golden brooch my mother
wore”
In this question, you need to
look for clue words that
indicate tone, in this case a
tone of sadness and regret.
The words that indicate regret
are “Oh, if instead.”
Which phrase from the poem creates
a tone of sadness and regret?
A “Rock from New England quarried”
B “Oh, if instead she’d left to me”
C “The golden brooch my mother
wore”
D “That courage like a rock”
The Courage That My Mother Had
The courage that my mother had
Went with her, and is with her still:
Rock from New England quarried;
Now granite in a granite hill.
The golden brooch my mother wore
She left behind for me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet it is something I could spare.
Oh, if instead she’d left to me
The thing she took into the grave!—
That courage like a rock, which she
Has no more need of, and I have.
Next question:
Which pair of nouns BEST describes
the mood of this poem?
A admiration and longing
B distrust and jealousy
C awe and amazement
D anger and resentment
Remember that tone is the
author’s attitude toward the
subject, while mood is the
atmosphere of the poem.
While the author’s tone is one
of sadness and regret, the
mood of the poem is one of
admiration for the mother and
longing to be like her.
Which pair of nouns BEST describes
the mood of this poem?
A admiration and longing
B distrust and jealousy
C awe and amazement
D anger and resentment
The Courage That My Mother Had
The courage that my mother had
Went with her, and is with her still:
Rock from New England quarried;
Now granite in a granite hill.
The golden brooch my mother wore
She left behind for me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet it is something I could spare.
Oh, if instead she’d left to me
The thing she took into the grave!—
That courage like a rock, which she
Has no more need of, and I have.
Next question:
Which form of figurative language is
the phrase “That courage like a
rock?”
A metaphor
B irony
C personification
D simile
A simile is a comparison of
two things using like or as. The
poem compares the mother’s
courage to a rock using the
word “like.” This is clearly a
simile.
Which form of figurative language is
the phrase “That courage like a
rock?”
A metaphor
B irony
C personification
D simile