STAAR (Eng II) study set

Question 1

archetype

Answer 1

universal example of a character. Examples: the hero, the innocent, the temptress, the caregiver, the scarecrow, the ruler

Question 2

allusion

Answer 2

a reference to a famous book, place, event, or song

Question 3

denotative meaning

Answer 3

the meaning found in the dictionary.

Question 4

motif

Answer 4

a recurring object, concept, or structure in a story or poem

Question 5

theme

Answer 5

central idea which is a universal truth. Example: Greed has consequences.

Question 6

historical setting

Answer 6

when and where the story takes place – usually affects the story

Question 7

moral dilemma

Answer 7

inner conflict which involves a difficult decision. Example: Should I tell the court that I had an affair with Abigail? I will ruin the name of my family but I will save my wife and many others.

Question 8

symbolism

Answer 8

when an object represents an idea. Example: dove=peace

Question 9

irony

Answer 9

when events turn out not as expected

Question 10

flashback

Answer 10

when events earlier than the story are “flashed” back to

Question 11

foreshadowing

Answer 11

hints at what will come in the future

Question 12

diction

Answer 12

specific language which is chose to convey an idea or a tone

Question 13

syntax

Answer 13

specific arrangement of words to convey an idea or tone

Question 14

connotative meaning

Answer 14

implied meaning of a word (not from the dictionary.) Often the feeling of a word – positive or negative

Question 15

unsubstantiated opinion

Answer 15

opinion that has no real basis or evidence

Question 16

media

Answer 16

any kind of information source: advertisements, new, radio, Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Question 17

inference

Answer 17

a conclusion based on reasoning and logic

Question 18

analogy

Answer 18

parallel comparison. Example:

dog : puppy as cat : ___________

answer: kitten

Question 19

author’s purpose

Answer 19

the reason an author wrote a story

Question 20

controlling idea

Answer 20

main idea of the story or paragraph

Question 21

anecdotal evidence

Answer 21

evidence involving stories told by individuals. Example: witness testimony in a court trial

Question 22

empirical evidence

Answer 22

evidence based on observation or experimentation, such as scientific method

Question 23

logical evidence

Answer 23

evidence based on facts and clear rationale, such as using DNA evidence

Question 24

statistical evidence

Answer 24

evidence based on numbers and statistics only

Question 25

figurative language

Answer 25

language that does not mean exactly what it says, but goes deeper. Can include similes, metaphors, imagery, symbolism, etc.

Question 26

simile

Answer 26

comparison using like or as

Question 27

metaphor

Answer 27

comparison without using like or as

Question 28

imagery

Answer 28

words that create vivid images in your mind, like a move

Question 29

tone

Answer 29

the feeling you perceive in a text

Question 30

voice

Answer 30

the author’s style which makes his or her writing unique

Question 31

rhyme scheme

Answer 31

pattern of rhyme in a poem, usually marked by letters to symbolize correspondence
Example: abab ccdcd efef gg (sonnet)

Question 32

etymology

Answer 32

the origin of a word found in the dictionary

Question 33

critique

Answer 33

a detailed analysis of a story, poem article, etc.

Question 34

logical fallacies

Answer 34

reasoning that has faulty logic

Question 35

rhetorical fallacies

Answer 35

reasoning that doesn’t allow for open exchange of ideas

Question 36

plot structure

Answer 36

sequence of events in a story

Question 37

argument

Answer 37

writing which has a specific claim or stance

Question 38

perspective

Answer 38

point of view of a character or author