NJSLA Analyzing Literary Texts 4

Question 1

A foil character in a novel is one who:

Accepted Answer

Contrasts with another character to highlight that character's traits

Answer

A foil's contrasting qualities are designed to throw the traits of another character — usually the protagonist — into sharper relief.

Question 2

In the sentence 'The classroom was a zoo,' what type of figurative language is used, and what does it suggest?

Accepted Answer

Metaphor; the classroom was chaotic and unruly

Answer

This is a metaphor that equates the classroom to a zoo, implying wild, disorderly behavior.

Question 3

An author describes a bleak, crumbling mansion with dead trees and dark skies to reflect the protagonist's inner despair. This technique — using setting to mirror a character's emotional state — is called:

Accepted Answer

Pathetic fallacy

Answer

Pathetic fallacy is the technique of projecting human emotions onto nature or environment to reinforce a character's feelings.

Question 4

Which of the following is the BEST example of situational irony?

Accepted Answer

A fire station burns down

Answer

Situational irony occurs when what actually happens is the opposite of what is expected — a fire station catching fire is a prime example.

Question 5

When analyzing a poem, a student identifies that every other line ends with a rhyming word (ABAB pattern). This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Alternating rhyme scheme

Answer

An ABAB pattern, where lines 1 and 3 rhyme and lines 2 and 4 rhyme, is called an alternating or cross rhyme scheme.

NJSLA Exam Practice Test

NJSLA Exam Practice Test

NJSLA Analyzing Literary Texts 4