Name _____________________

Teacher ___________________

Class _____________________

Date ______________________

California High School Exit Exam

(CAHSEE)

English Language Arts

Note Cards

What is the literal meaning of each passage? What is the

figurative meaning?

1. The flag fluttered overhead, and the troops cheered.

2. The school bus drove by, and the mother clutched her youngest child tightly.

Front 1

1. Literal meaning – The flag fluttered and the troops cheered.

2. Literal meaning – The bus drove by, and the mother held her child tightly.

Figurative meaning – The mother does not want her baby to grow up and leave.

Back 1

Use Context clues to define the underlined word:

The disconsolate face of each player told me that this team had lost the game.

Front 2

disconsolate – sad; dejected

Back 2

Say a word that contains each root.

fid = faith path; pathos = emotions or feelings dict = to say

Front 3

Sample answers:

confide

sympathy

diction

Back 3

1. What is the denotative meaning of a word?

2. What is the connotative meaning of a word?

3. Give an example of each.

Front 4

1. Denotative meaning is a word’s literal meaning.

2. Connotative meaning is a word’s implied or symbolic meaning.

3. Example: Home is a building where a person lives, and home can refer to any place that seems safe and welcoming.

Back 4

1. Define compare.

2. Define contrast.

Front 5

1. Compare – to show how object or ideas are alike

2. Contrast – to show how objects or ideas are different

Back 5

Tell how each feature can add meaning to text.

1. Titles and subtitles2. Photographs and drawings3. Graphs

Front 6

1. Titles and subtitles call attention to key ideas and divide reading into chapters or other sections.

2. Photographs and drawings may show the content described in the text or provide an example of the idea discussed in the text.

3. Graphs are a visual representation of information; they make it easier to compare data.

Back 6

This graph illustrates the facts in a newspaper article. Write a negative and a positive headline for the article.

Front 7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

East

West

North

Sample Answers

Negative: One in Four Students Not Involved in School

Positive: 75% of Students Actively Support Our School

Back 7

1. What does it mean to paraphrase?2. Paraphrase the following statement

by your mom: Your bedroom is a mess. You are not

leaving this house until I see a big improvement in there.

Front 8

1. To paraphrase means to restate Information in your own words.

2. Example: My mom won’t let me go anywhere until I clean my messy bedroom.

Back 8

1. What is a conclusion?

2. What conclusion(s) can you draw from this passage?

The rain poured down. The players and the coach sat in their dugout, wondering if this rain would deprive the seniors of their last chance of revenge.

Front 9

1. A conclusion is a statement that is based on the information in the reading. It is a logical summary based on the text.

2. The baseball team is scheduled to play a team that had beaten them earlier in the season (or the previous year).

Back 9

Which conclusions(s) are supported by this text? Explain each.

Serena flipped the page on her calendar and sighed sadly. Her brother’s wedding was only one month away, and soon she would have to walk down the aisle in front of everyone in the dreaded dress.

1. Serena was looking forward to her brother’s wedding.

2. Serena will be bridesmaid in her brother’s wedding.

3. The dress is ugly.

Front 10

1. Not supported – She sighed sadly when thinking about the wedding.

2. Supported – She will walk down the aisle in front of everyone at her brother's wedding. It is reasonable to assume that she will be bridesmaid.

3. Not Supported – There is a problem with the dress, but the reader is not told the exact nature of the problem.

Back 10

Wood High School Bands

Woodwinds Brass Percussion

Marching Band

22 31 12

Concert Band

26 16 7

Pep Band 6 12 2

1. The bands on the table are listed in order. Describe the order.

2. Should the reader assume that the marching band is the best band since it is listed first?

Front 11

1. The bands are listed from largest to smallest.

2. No. A misunderstanding of the meaning of a table can result if the reader does not take time to see the pattern.

Back 11

1. Define propaganda.

2. What is the purpose of propaganda?

Front 12

1. Propaganda is information that is spread to support a cause.

2. The purpose of propaganda is to create an emotional connection between the message and the reader or listener.

Back 12

Complete the chart to help the mayor prepare each speech.

Speech Topic

Audience Speech Length

Level of Detail

Tone

Construction of a new senior

citizens’ center

Senior citizens

Traffic Safety

Mrs. Holt’s Third grade

class

Congratulate the cheerleaders for winning the state

competition

Pregame football crowd

Front 13

Speech Topic

Audience Speech Length

Level of Detail

Tone

Construction of a new senior

citizens’ center

Senior citizens

Lengthy -one hour

Many details

Upbeat, Excited

Traffic Safety

Mrs. Holt’s Third grade

class

Brief – 10 or 15

minutes

Repetition of 2 or 3 important

rules

Concerned, No-nonsense

Congratulate the cheerleaders for winning the state

competition

Pregame football crowd

Very brief– one minute

Almost none; general

congratulations

Enthusiastic

Back 13

1. What is a source?

2. Rank these information sources from most to least reliable:A) An article in a gossip magazineB) A research study from a major universityC) An article in a weekly news magazineD) Information said in a joking manner on a comedy show

3. Is the internet a reliable source of accurate information? Front 14

1. A source is the origin of data or information.

2. B, C, A, D

3. Internet users must consider the reliability of each website that they read. The internet is made up of websites that range from very accurate to totally false. Consider the source of internet information to determine reliability.

Back 14

1. What is comedy?

2. What is tragedy?

3. Give an example of tragedy in literature.

Front 15

1. Comedy is literature that aims to amuse and has a happy ending.

2. Tragedy is literature in which events or conditions cause the downfall of the main character (protagonist).

3. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy.

Back 15

1. What is drama?

2. What is dramatic monologue?

Front 16

1. Drama is writing that is meant to be preformed by actors; a play.

2. Dramatic monologue is a lyric poem in which one character reveals his or her thoughts about an important situation by speaking them aloud.

Back 16

Identify 5 types of conflict in literature.

Front 17

Man vs. man

Man vs. nature

Man vs. himself

Man vs. the supernatural

Man vs. society

Back 17

1. What is a main character?

2. What is a subordinate character?

3. What details can an author use to reveal character?

Front 18

1. A main character is central to and advances the plot and action of a story.

2. A subordinate character has a limited role in the plot of a story, few lines and supports the main character.

3. Name, appearance, actions, speech, thoughts, and reactions of other characters.

Back 18

What are the different techniques in which characters reveal traits about themselves in literature, plays, and poetry?

Front 19

They reveal traits through narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy.

Back 19

Define theme.

List 3 classic themes in literature.

Front 20

• Theme is the literary term for the main idea of a piece of writing.

• Some classic themes:

coming of age, love, people and nature, people and society, alienation

Back 20

Define and give an example.• Foreshadowing• Flashback

Front 21

• Foreshadowing – the use of hints or clues to suggest what may happen later in the story.– Example: As he entered the dark cave, he sensed that

trouble was just around the corner.

• Flashback – the author visits an earlier time to tell a part of the story– Example: The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Ebenezer

Scrooge back in time to his childhood in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Back 21

Simile or Metaphor

1. She was as mad as a hornet.2. Her hair was straw.3. My love is like a red, red rose.4. It hasn’t rained in a month. My yard is

concrete.

Front 22

1. Simile2. Metaphor3. Simile4. Metaphor

Back 22

Define Symbol and give an example.

Front 23

• Symbol – a person or object that stands for something else– Example: As I looked at my old skateboard, I

sighed and went to work. (The skateboard represents youth and freedom.)

Back 23

Define irony and give an example.

Front 24

• Irony – a literary device in which meaning is contrary to words or actions; there is a mismatch between appearance and reality– Example: “It is as hot as an oven in here!” she

said, shivering.

Back 24

1. What is point of view?2. Describe first-person point of view and

third-person point of view.

Front 25

1. The perspective from which a story is told is point of view.

2. First person – the narrator experience the story; the narrator uses the word “I”.

Third Person – the narrator observes the story. The third person narrator can be:- Omniscient – know all thoughts and actions of all characters, or

- Limited – knows the thoughts of only one or some characters

Back 25

Define each of the following.1. Aside2. Character foil3. Soliloquy

Front 26

1. Aside – a comment made by a stage performer that is intended to be heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters.

2. Character foil – a secondary character whose traits contrast and highlight the main character’s features

3. Soliloquy – a monologue in a drama used to give the audience information and to develop the speaker’s character; it is usually delivered while the speaker is alone on stage.

Back 26

Match the author with his or her period of American literature.

A) Realism 1) Anne Bradstreet B) Colonial Literature 2) Washington Irving

C) Transcendentalism 3) Mark Twain

D) Romanticism 4) Ralph Waldo Emerson

Front 27

A) Realism (3) Mark Twain

B) Colonial Literature (1) Anne Bradstreet

C) Transcendentalism (4) Ralph Waldo Emerson

D) Romanticism (2) Washington Irving

Back 27

How do writers support topic sentences and develop paragraphs?

Front 28

• Facts• Examples• Definitions • Compare • Contrast• Anecdote

Back 28

Discuss the author’s mood, tone and word choice in this passage from The American Crisis by Thomas Paine.

“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis, shrink from the services of his country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph”

Front 29

Paine’s mood is one of passion as he urges his fellow Americans to battle tyranny. Paine’s motivating tone that calls for action is illustrated by his word choice that includes action verbs, metaphors and words that evoke strong feelings (e.g., love, tyranny, hell, glorious).

Back 29

1. What is a thesis statement?

2. Describe a good thesis statement.

Front 30

1. A thesis statement states the main idea of an essay (subject and opinion).

2. A good thesis statement includes the essay’s topic and a specific direction for the paper. It limits the scope of the essay and provides focus for the author and reader.

Back 30

1. When is a verb in the active voice?

2. When is it the passive voice?

3. Give and example of the same sentence in the active voice and in the passive voice.

Front 31

1. A verb is in the active voice when it expresses an action performed by its subject.

2. A verb is in the passive voice when the action it expresses is performed upon its subject.

3. Example:

Active voice: I threw the ball.

Passive voice: The ball was thrown by me.

Back 31

1. Define main idea.

2. What types of supporting evidence can a writer use to develop a main idea?

Front 32

1. The main idea is the message or the most important point of a passage. Often the main idea is stated in the topic sentence or in the concluding sentence.

2. A writer can use scenarios, commonly held beliefs, hypotheses, and definitions.

Back 32

Match the type of source with its definition.

A) almanac 1) description of how to do

something.

B) news source 2) annual reference book with

lists, tables and data

C) speech 3) information about recent events

D) technical document 4) public address

Front 33

A) almanac (2) annual reference book with lists, tables and data

B) news source (3) information about recent events

C) speech (4) public address

D) technical documents (1) description of how to do something

Back 33

1. What is revision?

2. List revision strategies.

Front 34

1. Revision is altering and improving the content of an essay.

2. Revision strategies1. Organize during prewriting to avoid major revisions.

2. Change or delete sentences that are off topic.

3. Improve word choice.

Back 34

1. What is editing?

2. List editing strategies.

Front 35

1. Editing is altering and improving the punctuation, spelling, grammar and neatness of an essay.

2. Editing strategies

1. read the paper aloud to discover errors.

2. check each sentence for completeness and end punctuation.

3. check legibility of handwriting.

Back 35

What is the purpose of each type of writing?

1. Persuasive2. Expository3. Narrative

Front 36

1. Persuasive – to convince the reader

2. Expository – to explain

3. Narrative – to relate an incident; to tell a story

Back 36

1. Define style

2. Give an example of a type of writing style

Front 37

1. Style is a writer’s unique way of telling a story or informing a reader.

2. Some examples of writing style are flowery, melodramatic, formal, or blunt.

Back 37

You would like to go see a movie about World War II. Your parents think it might be too violent for you to see. Which statements strengthen your argument?

A) The movie is rated PG.B) All the other kids are going.C) My history teacher said that we should all see it.D) It only costs $5.00.

Front 38

A) Many parents allow high school students to see PG movies. This statement probably strengthens your argument.

B) This statement is a bandwagon propaganda technique. Some parents are impressed, but most are not.

C) The endorsement of a respected person will help your cause with most parents

D) This statement is not helpful. Your parents are concerned about the violence, not the cost.

Back 38

1. Define methods of persuasion.

2. List examples of methods of persuasion.

Front 39

1. Methods of persuasion are techniques that authors use to convince readers to think, feel, or act in a certain way.

2. Logical appeal• State the facts• State the benefits to the audience• State the author’s expertise

3. Emotional appeal• Connect emotionally with the reader• Give an example from your own life (an anecdote)• Make a comparison that illustrates your point

Back 39

What is the correctlayout and punctuationof a business letter?

Front 40

Sender’s Address

Date

Receiver’s Address

Dear _____ : (or To Whom It May Concern:)

Body

Sincerely,

Signature

Printed Name

Use a semicolon to join these sentences in two different ways.

The heat was unbearable.

I went swimming.

Front 41

• The heat was unbearable; I went swimming.

• The heat was unbearable; therefore, I went swimming.

Back 41

1. When are colons used?2. Which sentences use the colon correctly?

A) Tennis, reading, and swimming: are three of my favorite hobbies.

B) Next summer, we will travel through the following states: South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.

C) At an airport I like to listen to the many noises: engines roaring, people laughing, luggage rolling, and feet running.

Front 42

1. Generally, the colon is used to call the next reader’s attention to what comes next. Some examples of when to use a colon include:

– Before a list of items, especially after words like “as follows” and “the following”

– Before a long, formal statement, or quotation.– After the salutation of a business letter

2. Sentence B and C are correct.

Back 42

Which is the main clause and which is the subordinate clause in each of the following sentences?

1. While I was studying, I ate an entire bowl of popcorn.

2. Shana and Jen went to the beach even though the temperature was cool and the sky was cloudy.

Front 43

1. subordinate: While I was studying

main: I ate an entire bowl of popcorn

2. main: Shana and Jen went to the beach

subordinate: even though the temperature was cool and the sky was cloudy

Back 43

Correct each sentence.

1. I am going shopping, to the skating rink and bicycling this weekend.

2. Shelby asked him to bring the truck and moving the refrigerator.

3. Mom invited the guests, baked a cake and decorates the house to get ready for the birthday party.

Front 44

1. I am going shopping, skating, and bicycling this weekend. (parallelism)

2. Shelby asked him to bring the truck and move the refrigerator. (parallelism)

3. Mom invited the guests, baked a cake, and decorated the house to get ready for the birthday party. (parallelism)

Back 44

Choose the correct verb in the parentheses:

1. Many (arrives, arrive) early at school each day.

2. The confusion among his students (is, are) understandable.

3. Neither of the girls (wants, want) to visit the art museum today.

4. It (don’t, doesn’t) matter to me if you eat all of the pizza.

Front 45

1. Many arrive early at school each day.

2. The confusion among his students is understandable.

3. Neither of the girls wants to visit the art of museum today.

4. It doesn’t matter to me if you eat all of the pizza.

Back 45

Correct each sentence.

1. Under the bed Tiffany was happy to find her notebook.

2. The car with the new wheels speed down the road.

3. Last week Jason found a dog in his best jacket.

4. Although the snow is deep, the children with the new sled slides rapidly downhill.

Front 46

1. Tiffany was happy to find her notebook under the bed.

2. The car with the new wheels speeds down the road.

3. Jason was in his best jacket last week when he found a dog.

4. Although the snow is deep, the children with the new sled slide rapidly downhill.

Back 46

You’re It’s They’re Hers Ours

1. What is the purpose of each apostrophe in three of the words above?

2. Why don’t hers and ours have an apostrophe?

3. What does each contraction mean?

4. Use each contraction in a sentence.

Front 47

1. Each apostrophe shows where a letter is missing and creates a contraction.

2. Possessive personal pronouns do not require an apostrophe.

3. You’re = you are

it’s = it is or it has

they’re = they are

4. You’re an excellent student.

It’s hot today.

They’re going to the movies with us.

Back 47

1. What is a run–on sentence?2. What is a sentence fragment?3. Label each sentence as a run–on or a fragment. 4. Correct the following sentences:

A) Sheila played the trumpet in marching band they went to the national competition in October.B) Wrote a beautiful poem for the homework assignment.C) Keri, the new girl in my English class from England.D) Max was leaning back in his chair, the chair slipped out from underneath him.

Front 48

1. A run–on sentence consists of two or more sentences separated by only a comma or by no mark of punctuation.

2. A sentence fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought.

3. A) run–on: Sheila played the trumpet in marching band. They went to national competition in October.B) Fragment: Jacob wrote a beautiful poem for the homework assignment.C) Fragment: Keri, the new girl in my English class, is from England.D) Run-On: Max was leaning back in his chair, and the chair slipped out from underneath him.

Back 48

Which sentence is correct? What must be corrected in each of the

other three sentences?1. We were going to the movies, but mom said

that we had to wait.2. Dad needed the car to run an errand, and he

don’t know when he will be back.3. Leanna and me played cards for a few

minutes.4. We left for the movies as soon as Dad

returned, and we were there in time for the previews.

Front 49

• Sentence 4 is correct.• Sentence 1 has a capitalization error

(Mom).• Sentence 2 has an error in subject-verb

agreement (he doesn’t or didn’t).• Sentence 3 has a pronoun error (Leanna

and I).

Back 49

Add punctuation and capitalization.

1. she shouted smokey come here

2. the dog a black terrier came dashing toward her

3. good boy she said come inside now smokey

Front 50

1. She shouted, “Smokey, come here!”

2. The dog, a black terrier, came dashing toward her.

3. “Good boy,” she said. “Come inside now, Smokey.”

Back 50