Mrs. Levy & Ms. Finnegan
Language Arts 8
Mid-Term Exam 2014: Study Topics
Name _______________________________ Date ________________ Period _____
Overview:
 Our exam will be given on Thursday, January 23, 2014 during periods 8, 9, and 10
 Location: To be announced
Exam Topics Overview and Exam Breakdown
I: VOCABULARY

This section will test words in lessons 1-3 of our Words to Go! Workbook.
o Question topics:


Definitions

Completing the sentence

Synonyms

Connotation and denotation
The following vocabulary words from literature we have read will also appear on the
exam:
o gallant (The Outsiders): brave, heroic
o apprehensive (The Giver): Anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant
will happen

This section will also cover the following topics from the pre-unit in the vocabulary book
(pages 2-13):
o Base words
o Roots
o Prefixes
o Suffixes
o Context clues

This section will contain multiple-choice and matching questions.
II: GRAMMAR
This section will cover the following topics; questions will be multiple-choice:

Subject and predicate

Sentences, fragments, run-ons, and comma splices

Verbs (linking, action)

Verbals: participles, gerunds, and infinitives

This section will contain multiple-choice questions
III: LITERATURE
This section will test your comprehension of the literature we have studied this year:

This section will contain multiple-choice questions
The Outsiders:

Characters

Setting

Plot

Idiom:
o An expression that means something other than the literal meaning of its
words

Theme:
o A moral or life lesson that a writer expresses through the plot and characters
in a story.
The Outsiders (continued from previous page):

Dramatic Triangle (Plot):
o Exposition
o Rising Action
o Climax
o Falling Action
o Resolution
Speak:

Characters

Plot

Motif:
o A repeated image or idea in a work of literature
“The Veldt”:

Characters

Setting

Foreshadowing

Allusion:
o A reference to a character, event, or situation in a work of literature
The Giver:

Characters

Setting

Plot

Utopia:
o An imaginary place in which things are ideal or perfect

Dystopia:
o An imaginary place in which things are very unpleasant or bad
IV. READING COMPREHENSION
You will read fiction and/or non-fiction passages and then respond to a series of comprehension
questions.
This section of the guide will also contain questions on the following topics:

Making inferences

Making meaning from non-fiction texts

Identifying main idea

Identifying relevant supporting details

This section will contain reading passage(s) and multiple-choice questions
V: WRITING SKILLS
This section will cover the following skills:

Expressing the main idea

Explaining relevant details

Summarizing

Keyhole format
o Introduction

Hook

Development

Thesis
o Body paragraphs
o Conclusion


Restated thesis

Development

Clincher
This section will contain multiple-choice questions
VI: ESSAY
You will write an essay in which you take a side on an issue.
HOW TO STUDY FOR AN EXAM
STEP 1: Organize
1. Go through your binder, making sure that all handouts are in the correct section (reading,
grammar, vocabulary, etc.).
2. Put handouts and notes in date order, from earliest to latest, grouping them by topic.
3. Compare your notes and handouts with a classmate’s to make sure that you are not
missing any needed materials for studying.
STEP 2: Prioritize
First, prioritize your studying. Don’t spend too much time studying topics you already know.
Using this handout as your guide, make a list of topics you feel you need to spend a lot of time
studying, some time studying, and a little time studying. You could even make a study planning
sheet, like this:
CONCEPTS I KNOW
VERY WELL
List topics here
CONCEPTS I KNOW
FAIRLY WELL
List topics here
CONCEPTS I NEED TO
REVIEW CAREFULLY
List topics here
STEP 3: Use Several Study Strategies
You should use as many different strategies as possible to maximize your success on this exam:
 Make an outline or graphic organizer for each topic (ex: vocabulary, grammar,
literature/literary terms, writing, etc.);

Create flash cards by topic (for example, character flash cards or theme flash cards);

Review and annotate study guides, quizzes, tests, and class notes;

When available, reread sections of text (many books and stories are available online);
 Form a study group with friends. Have each group member prepare a review of different
topic (for example, one person can prepare a review for vocabulary, another person can
prepare a review for one of the novels, etc.) and present the most important information
about that topic to the group;

Record notes for yourself, download them onto your I-pod, and play them each day.
The more SENSES you can involve in the studying process (sight, sound, etc.), the more likely
you are to recall what you study.
DON’T JUST READ YOUR NOTES—you will have more success if you look at AND read the
notes aloud (for example, to another person).
Also, try not to review things in the same ORDER over and over—you’ll have difficulty
remembering information at the end of a list or page of notes. Try reviewing lists and notes
backwards, forwards, from the middle to the end, etc.
STEP 4: Make a Studying Schedule

Make a specific, day-to-day schedule for exam studying

Budget in time for breaks—take a 10 to 15-minute break every hour

Study when you are awake and alert—last-minute studying (such as late-night cramming)
is not very effective and just leaves you tired on exam day

Study a subject in sections starting several days before the exam, and then review all the
material the night before the exam. For example, study grammar one night, vocabulary
the second night, literature the third night, and then review all topics on the fourth night