Developing Critical Reading Skills, 6th edition
Chapter 6 Exercises
Connotation and synonyms pg. 186-187
In each pair of words, mark the word with the Positive connotation with a plus sign; mark the word with the negative connotation with a negative sign.
Chubby___
Plump___
Assertive___
Aggressive___
Shopping binge___
Shopping spree___
Faux___
Fake___
Childish___
Childlike___
Loiter___
Wait___
Frankenfoods___
Genetically altered foods___
Pedantic___
Learned (adj.)___
Modest___
Prudish___
Connotative Restrictions pg.187-190
1. Demure: What is the word's denotative meaning?____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Is its connotation positive or negative?__________________________________________________
Which gender does it seem more appropriate?___________________________________________
Does it suggest any particular age?____________________________________________________
2. prarie: Denotation:______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Connotation:_______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. “The persistent cloud cover” pg 188
Do these words and phrases have a positive or a negative connotation?_______________________
Does the writer intend the word narcotic to have a positive or negative connotation?______________
Explain your thinking. How is she using the word here?_____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
4. “The railroads brought new” and “Opportunity was the magnet” pg. 188-190
Write the central impression of the westward march Steinbeck conveys._______________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Now do the same for the Billington passage._____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Connotation in fiction: “It was Miss Murdstone,” pg. 190
Consider the words and phrases underlined; then write a sentence explaining what these connotative
words and phrases suggest about Miss Murdstone's character._______________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Playful aspects of figurative language pg. 194
“My first surprise was in the store”
Taken together, what impression of Kerouac's fictional mother do these figures of speech suggest?
_________________________________________________________________________________
Personification pg 194-195
“Just then they heard,” Does the writer suggest here that the thunder is loud or soft?___________
________________________________________________________________________________
“Few [residents of Nanking, China]”
To what is war being compared?______________________________________________________
“The building was hanging,” What image of this building does Follett convey?_________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Practice Exercise 1 pg. 195-200
Decide if each of the short passages represent simile, a metaphor, or personification. Then decide the
literal subject and what the subject is metaphorically being compared to. Finally, briefly explain the
meaning.
1. “It was a late hour”
Simile metaphor
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
2. “...we watched some of the” Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
personification
metaphor
3. “America is a large” Simile metaphor
Literal subject & comparison:_____
Explanation of meaning:
4. “Regret grew only more insistent” Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
personification
personification
metaphor
personification
5. “regret grew more intense”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
metaphor
personification
6. “It had been a hostile town...” Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
metaphor
personification
7. “Second terms far too”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
metaphor
personification
8. “Parker's wife was sitting”
metaphor
personification
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
9. “Two flickering bugs were”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
metaphor
personification
10. “In the upper middle”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
metaphor
personification
11. “It seems that Father”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
metaphor
personification
12. “Spring weather is capricious”
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
13. “The man who has not”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
14. “My mother died at the moment”
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
15. “And then abruptly”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
_
16. “As I looked about me”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
Simile
metaphor
metaphor
Simile
personification
personification
metaphor
personification
metaphor
personification
metaphor
personification
17. “He had thought he could”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
metaphor
personification
18. “The logic that pointed”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
metaphor
personification
19. “I am cognizant of the interrelatedness”
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
20. “Time is but the stream”
Simile
Literal subject & comparison:
Explanation of meaning:
Simile
metaphor
metaphor
personification
personification
Practice Exercise 2 pg. 208-210
Read the passages; then decide which type of misuse or abuse of language is used – cliché,
doublespeak, euphemism, Jargon PC language, or sneer words.
1. “When Maryland beat Stanford...”______________________________
2. “In 1998 President Clinton appeared...”_________________________
3. “A brochure for a memorial park...” ____________________________
4. “Employees at Sea World...” _________________________________
5. “ During the Vietnam War...” _________________________________
6. “O.J. Simpson, the famous...” ________________________________
7. “In Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action...” ___________________________
8. “During both the 1996 and 2000...” ____________________________
9. “In New York, one cannot...” _________________________________
10. “At the First international...” _________________________________
Chapter Exercises pg. 210-217
Section 1: “Hockey has [been] and will always be...”
A. Content & Structure
1.
Identify the simile used in sentence 1. __________________________________is compared
to________________________________________________
2.
Identify the metaphors used in sentences 7 & 8. _____________________________________
is compared to _______________________________________________________________
3.
Explain why these figures of speech are appropriate for the content of the paragraph. _______
___________________________________________________________________________
_
4.
Locate the sentence that represents the central transition between the two major ideas in the
paragraph.___________________________________________________________________
5.
We can accurately infer that McCall
a)
played hockey better than he played baseball.
b)
was required to play both hockey and baseball at school.
c)
became nearly obsessed by baseball once he began to play it.
d)
also enjoyed curling and working out with Indian clubs.
6.
Which of these inferences is more likely?
a)
McCall merely followed the sport of baseball rather than playing it himself.
b)
McCall actively played baseball.
B. Language analysis
1.
The word palpitating, in sentence 1, means “quivering” or “shaking.” In light of the simile the
author uses here, why is this adjective particularly appropriate in this context?_____________
___________________________________________________________________________
2.
In comparing hockey to a “trusty family dog” and in addressing the sport with “Good dog,
hockey!” what feature of the sport is he praising?_____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3.
Explain the underlying meaning of this phrase in sentence 5: “its big-league sagas churning
through season after season without so much as a nod from me.”_______________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4.
The adjective virulent, in the last sentence, means “extremely infectious.” What meaning does
McCall intend here?
a)
neutral or denotative
b)
connotative with positive overtones
c)
connotative with negative overtones
Section 2: “It was so hot that I went down...” pg. 212-214
A. Content and Structure
1.
The dominant impression the passage suggests is that the creek was
(a) open and spacious
(b) clear and cool
(c) hot and dustry
(d) lonely and isolated
2.
We can infer that the narrator of the passage is probably
(a) a little girl of about 5 or 6
(b) a girl of about 11 or 12
(c) a young woman of 19 or 20
(d) a middle-aged woman
3.
What evidence in the passage helped you arrive at your answer for question 2 above?
___________________________________________________________________________
B. Language Analysis
1.
Consider the words “sumps” in sentence 1 and “glared” in sentence 4. How would you
characterize their use in the passage?
a) denotative
b) connotative with positive overtones.
c) connotative with negative overtones.
d) figurative
2.
In sentence 3, which of the five senses is Leffland appealing to?____________
3.
Identify the figure of speech in sentence 8. Is it a metaphor or simile?
________________ _____________ is compared to _____________________________
What characteristic of the literal subject does this figure of speech emphasize?_____________
___________________________________________________________________________
Finally, would you characterize the sensation described as pleasant or unpleasant?
___________________________________________________________________________
_
4.
In the context of sentence 11, the writer intends the adjective “reckless to be
a) strictly denotative
b) connotative w/ positive overtone
c) connotative with negative overtone d) figurative
5.
In sentence 11, the adjective “hot” is used ambiguously, suggesting two different but
complementary meanings. What are they?_________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_
6.
Identify the figure of speech in sentence 11.____________________________ is compared to
__________________________________________ Is it a metaphor or a simile?__________
What attribute or characteristic does Leffland emphasize about the narrator in choosing this
comparisonon?_______________________________________________________________
_______________
Section 3: “The noses of a great many Canadians...” pg. 214-217
A. Content and Structure
1.
In your own words, write a sentence stating Atwood's main idea.________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2.
When Atwood writes at the beginning of paragraph 2, in referring to Americans, “bless their
innocent little hearts,” she is being:
a) honest
b) scornful c) sarcastic d) religious e) admiring
3.
From what Atwood implies in Paragraph 2, explain what Americans think about Canadians.
4.
5.
___________________________________________________________________________
_
From the information in paragraph 4, why specifically do Canadians “worry a lot” about their
southern neighbor?
What are the broader implications of Atwood's passage? What is the central inference you can
make about the relationship between Canada and the United States?
B. Language Analysis
1.
Read paragraph 1 again. Why do Canadians' noses resemble Porky Pig's?___
2.
What does Atwood mean when she refers to the border between Canada and the United states
as a “one-way mirror”? What does this metaphor say about Canadians?
3.
How would you characterize the word “snoop” in the context it is used toward the end of
paragraph 1? It suggests:
a) neutral, denotative meaning
c)negative connotative
4.
b) positive connotative
d) cliché
Atwood says in paragraph 2 that Americans go on “playing in the sandbox of the world, bashing
on another on the head and planning how to blow things up, same as always.” What does the
sandbox metaphor refer to?
Explain what the metaphor means:
5.
“the longest undefended backyard fence in the world.” In your own words, explain Atwood s
thinking about how these neighboring nations get along...”
6.
In paragraph 4, what is the literal meaning of these sentences? “Sometimes they do drop by
next door, and find it exciting but scary. Sometimes the Americans drop by their house and find
it clean.”
Practice Essay pg. 217-222
“The Death of the Moth,” by Virginia Woolf
A. Comprehension
1.
The main idea of the essay is that, for Woolf,
a)
the death of the moth illustrated the cruelty of nature
b)
rural life is the scene is the scene of daily tragedies and triumphs.
c)
observing death up close makes the observer more accpeting and
reflective of this inevitability
d)
the little moth embodied life itself, but it could not overcome death’s power.
2.
The sentence , “It was as if someone had taken a tiny bead of pure life and decking it as lightly
as possible with down and feathers, had set it dancing and zigzagging,” shows:
a)
what the moths look like and how they fly
b)
the strangeness of insect life.
c)
the true nature of life
d)
how pathetic and insignificant the moth was
3.
Woolf views the little moth with pity because
a)
his shape so limited his activities
b)
he would not survive the heat of the day.
c)
d)
his death would be unnoticed by everyone but her.
he would live for only one day.
4.
In the moth's death, Woolf sees
a)
and admirable yet futile struggle to survive death’s superior force
b)
a foreshadowing of her own death
c)
a rebellion against and a refusal to accept death’s inevitability.
d)
a triumph over a force greater than life itself.
5.
In observing the little moth, Woolf concludes that
a)
life and death are inextricably linked.
b)
death's triumph over the forces of life was both strange and moving.
c)
all organisms have an innate desire to triumph over death.
d)
its death shows the impersonality and indifference of the universe.
B. Vocabulary: For each italicized word, write the dictionary definition most appropriate for the
context.
1.
2.
A pleasant morning, ... benignant [paragraph 1]
a) mild, gentle. b) promising good fortune
c) hot, humid.
d) inactive, lazy.
his zest in enjoying his meagre opportunities (British spelling of meager) [2]:
a) unusual, different b) limitless, abundant. c) paltry, limited.
strange
3.
to move with the greatest circumspection [3]:
a) care, watchfulness
b) frenzy, frantic activity.
c) grace, elegance.
d) curiosity, inquisitiveness
4.
triumph... over so mean an antagonist [5]:
a) victor
b) opponent
d) curious,
c) instigator of trouble
d) bearer of bad
tidings
C. Language Analysis
1.
Read paragraph 1 again. In her description of the ploughman, the rooks, and the horses, the
dominant mood and atmosphere she establishes are:
a) sleepy and languid
b) full of life, energy, and vigor
c) mournful, somber
d) exciting, adventurous
2.
In paragraph 1, Woolf figuratively compares the rooks to:
3.
this figure of speech is meant to illustrate:
a)
the birds' movement and energy.
b)
the great clamor the birds were making
c)
the birds' mating habits
d)
the birds’ disruption by the ploughman and his horses
4.
Read paragraph 2 again, which emphasizes that, despite its insignificant size and simple
activities, the moth
a)
represented all the energy and life in the world
b)
longed to be more than merely insignificant
c)
reflected the same energy as the rooks and the horses.
d)
had probably been injured somewhere before flying into the house.
5.
What realization does Woolf come to when she considers trying to help the struggling moth
with her pencil?
6. Consider this excerpt from paragraph 5: “ One could only watch the extraordinary efforts made by
those tiny legs against an oncoming doom which could had it chosen , have submerged and entire
city, not merely a city, but masses of human beings...” Explain what Woolf means in your own words.