NJSLA Analyzing Literary Texts 5

Question 1

A story begins in the middle of a battle scene, then uses flashbacks to explain how the characters arrived at this point. This narrative technique is called:

Accepted Answer

In medias res

Answer

In medias res is a Latin term for 'in the middle of things' — starting a narrative at a dramatic point before providing context.

Question 2

An author writes a novel in which the protagonist's unreliable memories slowly reveal a truth the reader suspects before the character does. Which effect does this technique MOST create?

Accepted Answer

Dramatic irony, as the reader knows more than the narrator

Answer

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience possesses knowledge or understanding that a character lacks.

Question 3

A student analyzing a Langston Hughes poem notes that the speaker's tone shifts from hopeful to bitter by the final stanza. What is the MOST likely reason to examine this shift?

Accepted Answer

To understand how the speaker's attitude changes and what that reveals about the poem's theme

Answer

Analyzing a tonal shift helps reveal the speaker's evolving perspective and how it connects to the poem's central message.

Question 4

Which of the following sentences contains a SIMILE?

Accepted Answer

He ran like a cheetah chasing prey.

Answer

A simile uses 'like' or 'as' to compare two unlike things — 'ran like a cheetah' is a clear example.

Question 5

A myth explains that thunder is caused by a god striking his hammer on an anvil. This type of story that explains natural phenomena through supernatural means is called:

Accepted Answer

An etiological myth

Answer

An etiological myth is a story created to explain the origins of natural phenomena, customs, or place names.

NJSLA Exam Practice Test

NJSLA Exam Practice Test

NJSLA Analyzing Literary Texts 5