Diagnostic Reading Comprehension: Literature Flashcards

A story describes a girl who smiles at everyone but cries alone at night. What literary device is used to reveal her true feelings?

Answer: Dramatic irony

Dramatic irony occurs when the reader knows something (her sadness) that other characters do not.

A poem ends with the same word it began with. What effect does this create?

Answer: It creates a sense of circularity and completeness

Repeating the opening word at the end creates a circular structure that gives the poem a sense of wholeness.

In a short story, the author writes: 'The clock on the wall ticked away the last seconds of Marcus's childhood.' What does this sentence most likely signal?

Answer: Marcus is about to experience a major life change

The clock symbolizes time passing and hints that Marcus is approaching a pivotal, grown-up moment.

Which point of view allows the narrator to reveal the thoughts of ALL characters?

Answer: Third person omniscient

Third person omniscient narrators have access to the inner thoughts and feelings of every character in the story.

A character in a novel starts out selfish but ends up giving his last coin to a beggar. His change is best described as:

Answer: Dynamic character development

A dynamic character undergoes meaningful internal change over the course of the story.

Read the sentence: 'Her laughter was a song, bright and clear as a bell.' This sentence contains which two literary devices?

Answer: Metaphor and simile

'Her laughter was a song' is a metaphor, and 'bright and clear as a bell' is a simile using 'as.'

An author ends every chapter with the main character making a difficult decision. How does this structure most likely affect the reader?

Answer: It builds suspense and encourages reading further

Ending chapters on decisions creates cliffhangers that build suspense and motivate readers to continue.