PARCC Advanced Reading 3

Question 1

A central theme of a story can best be determined by examining:

Accepted Answer

Recurring ideas and the characters' choices

Answer

Theme emerges from patterns of ideas and how characters act throughout the text.

Question 2

An author writes, 'The factory belched smoke into a sky already choking.' The word 'choking' is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Personification

Answer

Giving the sky the human action of choking is personification.

Question 3

To determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word, the most reliable in-text strategy is to:

Accepted Answer

Use surrounding context clues

Answer

Context clues in nearby sentences usually reveal a word's intended meaning.

Question 4

Two authors describe the same historical event, but one emphasizes economic causes and the other emphasizes leadership decisions. This difference reflects each author's:

Accepted Answer

Perspective or focus

Answer

Differing emphasis on causes reveals the distinct perspective each author brings.

Question 5

The phrase 'the calm before the storm' functions as:

Accepted Answer

Foreshadowing of trouble

Answer

The idiom signals that difficulty is coming, hinting at later events.

PARCC Practice Test

PARCC Practice Test

PARCC Advanced Reading 3