READING REVIEW FOR THE AHSGE 

Reading Review for the AHSGE From, Passing the Alabama Graduation Examination in

Reading, American Book Company

FINDING THE MAIN IDEA Definition:

The main idea is the central point or controlling idea of a passage

It is sometimes stated directly in the title, beginning, or end of a passage.

Other times, however, it may only be implied, rather than directly stated.You may need to determine the implied

main idea in a passage of several paragraphs; the main idea will summarize all of the facts and ideas in the passage.

TIPS FOR FINDING A STATED MAIN IDEA :  Read the title of the passage.

The main topic for the paragraph or passage is often mentioned in the title.

Read the entire paragraph or passage. You’ll get an overview of who or what the selection is

about. Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph.

Most of the key words and ideas will be stated in these places.

Choose the answer that is the best statement or restatement of the paragraph or passage. Your choice should contain the key words mentioned in

the title, the first sentences, or the last sentences in each paragraph of the passage.

TIPS FOR DETERMINING AN IMPLIED MAIN IDEA :  Read the title.

The title will help you identify the topic of the selection.

Read the entire paragraph or passage. You’ll get a general understanding of the selection.

Reread the facts and details in each paragraph. Think of overall ideas that they share in common.

Choose the answer that summarizes all of the facts and ideas in the passage. Confirm your choice by going back to the passage

to check your evidence one more time.

READING FOR DETAILS, PATTERNS OF IDEAS, AND WORD MEANING :  Locating details is an essential skill for

reading comprehension. Definition:

The ability to identify facts, reasons, and examples that support the main idea in a paragraph or passage.

You will need to be able to recognize sequence of events in a story as well as understand cause-effect relationships in a passage.

TIPS FOR LOCATING DETAILS: Read the passage carefully. Scan the passage to answer the questions with

the 5 W’s or H. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How ?

Match key works in your choice of answers with those in the passage.

Always confirm your answer by going back to the passage.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS OR DIRECTIONS Questions dealing with a sequence of events

or directions require you to make connections between events, observations, or instructions in a passage.

Passages can follow one of three logical orders: Chronological order- events are presented in time

order starting from the first event, then going to the second event, third event, etc.

Order of importance- details are organized either from least important to most important, or vice versa.

Spatial order- top to bottom, left to right, clockwise, near to far, front to back, etc.

TIPS FOR ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS OR DIRECTIONS :  Skim the passage.

Look for key words that indicate a sequence of events or directions.

Read the passage. Read the question and scan the

sequences to find the answer. Try to match key words from the

question with the events or directions in the passage.

Check your answer against the evidence in the selection.

CAUSE-EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS Authors sometimes explain a topic by

including the causes or reasons for an event and the effects or results of an event.

Passages about cause-effect relationships may center on stories, science, history, or news events.

TIPS FOR ANSWERING CAUSE-EFFECT QUESTIONS :  Read the passage. Look for key words that signal hat the

passage is about causes or effects. Note any key words in the questions that

suggest a cause or effect would be an answer.

Scan for the answer, and use the text to confirm your response

CONTEXT CLUES

Context Clues Signal WordsComparison Also, likewise, resembling, too, bothContrast But, however, until, instead of, yet,

whileDefinition or Restatement

Is, or, that is, in other words, which

Example For example, for instance, such as, as dash or colon

By analyzing the phrases and signal words that come before or after the underlined word, you can often figure out its meaning.

ANALOGY An analogy is a partial or limited

similarity between groups of words or ideas.Two things, essentially different in nature,

that possess something in common can make an analogy.

INFERENCES, CONCLUSIONS, GENERALIZATIONS, PREDICTIONS, AND SUMMARY :  An inference is information not directly

stated in a passage. It is generally stated in a passageExample: If you notice a dog wagging its tail

as you walk toward it, you would infer that it is friendly and eager to meet you. The dog doesn’t say anything, but its behavior

suggests it is friendly.

TIPS ON ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT CONCLUSIONS AND PREDICTIONS :  Read the passage twice. Read the question and all the answer

choices. Choose your answer based on the

stated facts or clues in the passage.

INFERENCES, CONCLUSIONS, GENERALIZATIONS, PREDICTIONS, AND SUMMARY :  Drawing an inference is making an educated

guess based on facts and details in a passage. A generalization is a specific type of inference

in which you apply knowledge in a passage to new situations that are related.

Drawing a conclusion is an inference skill where you form a judgment or opinion based on the details in a passage.

Predictions involve thoughts or actions that could continue beyond the passage (known as applying idea).

The meaning of a passage is a sentence that contains the message in a passage.

TIPS FOR FINDING THE MEANING :  Read the passage carefully. Reread the passage for details. Choose the statement that best

expresses the meaning of the passage.

FACT AND OPINION :  A fact is a true statement that can be

proven by observation, statistics, or research.

An opinion is a judgment or viewpoint about a person, place, event, or idea.

FACT AND OPINION: EXAMPLES Fact: Many vegetables contain vitamins

and minerals that are essential to health.

Opinion: Vegetables are easy to cook and are delicious.

Fact: Oprah Winfrey was born in Kosciuska, Mississippi, on January 29, 1954.

Opinion: Oprah is my favorite TV talk show.

TIPS FOR IDENTIFYING FACTS AND OPINIONS :  Facts state information based on

observation, statistics, or research. Opinions express a personal viewpoint

or belief about a person, place, event, or idea. Opinions contain adjectives like: best,

worst, favorite, dishonest, etc Opinions sometimes include phrases such

as: I feel, I think, my view, my opinion, etc.

ANALYSIS OF LITERATURE :  Analyzing literature improves your

understanding of what you are reading. This will help you think critically about

reading selections taken from speeches, short stories, poems, plays, articles, essays, ads, and editorials.

ARGUMENT AND FALLACY :  An argument often presents opinions that have a

positive or negative slant. An advertisement tries to persuade you to

purchase a product such as a car or a service such as trash collection.

An editorial presents a viewpoint on a controversial issue such as violence on television or raising the speed limits.

A valid argument contains good logic, solid evidence, or clear reasons and examples form the reading selection.

A fallacy or false argument contains poor logic, weak evidence, or faulty reasons and examples from the reading selection.

TIPS FOR ANALYZING AN ARGUMENT :  Identify the opinion or viewpoint on the

issue. It will generally appear near the beginning

of the selection, but it may also appear at the end as a conclusion.

Read the supporting reasons for the opinion Decide whether the reasons or examples

support the argument.

MAIN TYPES OF FALLACIES :  Jumping to Conclusions is a claim with little proof to

support it. (Vote for the people’s choice! Sun Soap is the best!)

Ad Hominem is attacking the person rather than his or her ideas. (Bill dresses like a nerd! How could he run for president

of Student Council?) Circular Argument is when part of an argument is used as

evidence to support it. (Looks are more important than talent because looks

mean everything.) Testimonial is when famous persons endorse a product,

even though they aren’t experts. (Bill Cosby loves Jell-O; Robin Williams drives a Prius.)

Either-Or Fallacy is when there are only two sides to an issue. (Either we eliminate all weapons from this earth, or we’ll

blow each other up.) (This or that)

TYPES OF PROPAGANDA :  Testimonials are a frequently used technique

in which famous persons endorse a product even though they are not qualified as experts.

Transfer is a technique in which the public’s feelings on one thing are somehow connected to another unrelated thing.

In-Crowd Appeal is a kind of flattery which encourages viewers to identify with an admired, envied group.

Bandwagon is a technique in which the reader is made to feel that a great movement is beginning.

AUTHOR’S PURPOSE FOR WRITING: To inform.

(present facts and data) To entertain

(amuse or offer enjoyment) To persuade.

(urge action on an issue) To instruct.

(teach concepts and facts) To describe feelings.

(communicate emotions through words) To create suspense.

(convey uncertainty) To motivate.

(incite) To cause doubt.

(be skeptical)

AUTHOR’S PURPOSE FOR WRITING CONT. :  To describe an event

(narrate through series of events) To teach a lesson

(furnish knowledge) To introduce a character

(describe a person’s traits) To create a mood

(establish atmosphere) To relate an adventure

(tell an exciting story) To share a personal experience

(tell about an event in your life)

STRUCTURAL DEVICES :  Structural Devices refer to elements

that help you understand a story, poem, or play.These devices include plot, character,

setting, point of view, mood, and theme or interpretation.

PLOT AND ITS FEATURES : Plot is a pattern of events in a story

leading to a conclusion. Climax is the turning point in a story Conflict is the struggle between

different forces in a story. (can be with nature, one’s self, with others,

or with society) Foreshadowing is clues or hints of

events to come. Suspense is anticipation about what will

happen in a story.

SETTING AND ITS FEATURES :  Setting include the place and time in a

story. Place is the location where a story takes

place.Time is when the story occurs.

CHARACTER AND ITS FEATURES :  Character is an imaginary person that

appears in a literary work.Antagonist is an opponent or rival of the

hero.Protagonist is the hero or main character.

Dialogue is a conversation between two people in a story .

Narrator is the person telling a story.

POINT OF VIEW AND ITS FEATURES: Point of view is the perspective form which a

writer tells a story. Harper Lee writes To Kill A Mockingbird from the

point of view of Scout, a young girl living in a small town in Alabama.

First person point of view is when the narrator tells the story from the “I” point of view. In House on Mango Street, Esperanza tells her story

as the main character. Third person point of view is when the writer

tells the story describing characters as “he,” “she,” or “they.” Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle is an example of

this point of view.

MOOD AND TONE : Mood is the atmosphere of a literary

work. The writer creates a mood through details in

the setting and plot. Tone is a feeling or attitude conveyed to

the reader in a work of literature.

TYPES OF MOODS AND TONES(LEARN THESE WORDS) Angry Anxious Beguiling Boring Calm Cynical Depressed Disgusting Dramatic Expectant Fearful Gloomy Happy

Humorous Hysterical Lackadaisical Lethargic Lighthearted Lofty Macabre Mocking Nervous Optimistic Pensive Pessimistic Poetic

Relaxed Remorseful Sad Satirical Suspenseful Sympathetic Tearful Tense Threatening Tragic

THEME OR INTERPRETATION : Theme or interpretation is the message

or meaning in a story, poem, or play. The reader is then able to gain insights into

literature and life.Examples:

The theme of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask” is that we all must wear masks that hide our true selves.

One interpretation of Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour” is that life is full of surprises that can kill you.

TIPS FOR UNDERSTANDING STRUCTURAL DEVICES: Study the definitions and examples of

plot, character, setting, point of view, mood, and theme from this section.

RHETORICAL DEVICES : Rhetorical Devices are ways of

expressing ideas that are unusual.Writers use rhetorical devices to achieve

special effects in a passage.These effects are achieved by how the

authors arrange their words. These devices can be found in poetry,

stories, essays, speeches, editorials, and advertisements.

TYPES OF RHETORICAL DEVICES: Alliteration Analogy Euphemisms Hyperbole Metaphor Onomatopoeia Personification Rhyme Simile

SPECIFIC RHETORICAL DEVICES : Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonants in

lines of poetry or prose. “Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,” – Langston Hughes “Perfected poems, powerful punch lines/ Pummeling petty

powder puffs in my prime” - Blackalicious Analogy is a comparison between two things or ideas.

Comparing life to a journey; comparing students in a school to members of a family

Euphemisms is using mild words to describe something instead of using offensive or sexist words. Passed away for “died” Perspire for “sweat Restroom for “bathroom” Sanitation engineer for “trash man”

SPECIFIC RHETORICAL DEVICES : Hyperbole is an exaggeration to create an effect.

“I would rather die than eat Brussels sprouts!” I was so surprised you could knock me over with a

feather! Metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike

things without using the words “like” or “as.” The sun was a ball of fire. The Beatles song “Blackbird,” written during the Civil

Rights era, encourages racial equality by the metaphor of a blackbird learning to fly.

Onomatopoeia- words whose sound suggests their meaning. Splash, buzz, hiss, boom “The moan of doves in immemorial elms;/ And murmuring

of innumerable bees,” - Tennyson

SPECIFIC RHETORICAL DEVICES : Personification- giving human qualities to something

not human “As she sang softly at the evil face of the moon,” –Jean

Toomer “The oak trees whispered softly in the night breeze,” – John

Steinbeck Rhyme- occurs when groups of words have the same

sounds “The old horse thrust his long head out,/ And grave with

wonder gazed about:” –Whittier Simile- comparison between two things using “like” or

“as” “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child” – African

American Spiritual Cute as a button “I’m like a bird/ I’ll only fly away” –Nelly Furtado

TIPS FOR UNDERSTANDING RHETORICAL DEVICES: Study the definitions and examples of

alliteration, analogy, euphemisms, hyperbole, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, rhyme, and simile.

Read the literary selection at least twice. Try to summarize the selection in your own

words. Decide which answer best describes the

structural or rhetorical device you are asked to find.

Choose your answer, and then confirm it by going back to the selection.

TYPES OF LITERATURE Writers use many different forms of

literature to communicate their messages. Some of these forms have been used for centuries, while others are more recent inventions.Nonfiction, biography, autobiography,

fiction, novel, short story, poem, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, romance, allegory, epic, fable, tall tale, folk tale, myth, legend

TYPES OF LITERATURE: Nonfiction- writing that is intended or appears

to be based entirely on facts. Magazine articles, newspaper reports, economics

books, scientific journals, biographies, autobiographies

Biography- the account of a person’s life as written by someone besides that person. William Roper’s The Life of Sir Thomas Moore and

Walter Isaacsons’ Einstein: His Life and Universe Autobiography- the account of a person’s life as

written by that person, sometimes called memoir. Helen Keller’s The Story of My Life and Barack

Obama’s The Audacity of Hope

Fiction- narrative writing drawn from imagination, though the story may be based on history and fact; most frequently associated with novels and short stories. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter and J.K.

Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Novel- an extended fictional narrative.

William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies, which is under 200 pages long, to Marcel Proust’s 4,800-page In Search of Lost Time

Short story- a short piece of fictional narrative, anywhere from 20,000 to 200 words (or less). Stephen King’s “Shawshank Redemption,” and Philip

K. Dick’s “Minority Report”

TYPES OF LITERATURE:

Poem- writing that contains audible qualities and meaning, with conventions like rhyme and rhythm, in addition to characteristics of other genres. Robert Frost’s “The Road Less Traveled,” Langston

Hughes’ “Harlem,” and any songs with lyrics Fantasy- stories that take place in imaginary worlds,

often featuring magic and Medieval elements J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis’s The

Chronicles of Narnia trilogies Science fiction- similar to fantasy writing, but is often

set in the future and relies on speculative scientific explanations for events, rather than magic. Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend and many comic book

stories

TYPES OF LITERATURE:

Mystery- stories that rely on suspense, plot puzzles, and clues to maintain audience interestRobert Ludlum’s The Bourne Ultimatum and the

Lost TV series Romance- stories focusing on passionate love

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Nicholas Sparks’s The Notebook

Allegory- a story, in which characters and events are mostly metaphor, that is meant to teach a lessonThe parables of Jesus and George Orwell’s Animal

Farm

TYPES OF LITERATURE:

Epic a long narrative poem that presents the adventures of mighty characters, including a heroic central figure Beowulf and Homer’s The Odyssey

Fable- a brief tale that centers on a moral lesson, often using a lot of personification The works of Aesop http://www.aesopfables.com/aesopsel.html

Tall tale- a highly exaggerated story from the North American frontier that uses realistic language to describe its often superhuman characters the tales of Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett, and Johnny

Appleseed http://www.paulbunyantrail.com/talltale.html

TYPES OF LITERATURE:

Fairy tale- a simple story set in the past, often involving supernatural events and characters.“Hansel and Gretel” and “Little Red Riding

Hood” Myth- supernatural stories used by a

culture to explain the world around and to provide ancient explanations for things from the beginning of existence to morality to war and love.Stories of Greek gods and goddesses, the

Egyptian Book of the Dead

TYPES OF LITERATURE:

Folk tale- stories that explain things about a culture, like the traditions, holidays, humor, laws, and proverbs of a particular group of people, often featuring exaggerated versions of real people. “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “Rip Van Winkle,” and

the story of a young George Washington saying “I cannot tell as lie” about cutting down his father’s cherry tree

Legend- stories somewhat based on real people and events, sharing many elements with myths and folk tales, often coming in many versions by many different writers, with some striving for realism and some including supernatural elements. Robin Hood, King Arthur, the City of Atlantis, and the

Loch Ness Monster

TYPES OF LITERATURE:

Special Note:Many genres in this list are kinds of fiction,

but many also contain elements of nonfiction such as references to real people and events.

Remember: combinations of these genres are always possible. A writer could create a science fiction novel, an allegorical short story, a mythic poem, or anything else imaginable.

TYPES OF LITERATURE: