Multiple-Choice Practice Exercises A Standard Assignment During the Second Semester

For a printer-friendly version of this handout, click on the link below.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE TEST PRACTICE.

The purpose of this assignment is to address many of your concerns about the multiple-choice section of the test and to help you practice reading very difficult passages. Completion of these assignments should improve your reading and annotation skills and maximize your chances for success on the multiple-choice test.

PROCESS: I will give you a passage from a sample test. Your homework assignment is to read the passage and complete the requirements below. On the day this assignment is due (usually Monday), you will turn in the assignment, and then answer multiple-choice questions over the passage. Each passage will include a short list of words that you will need to know in order to be successful on the multiple-choice test.

Your grade for the assignment will come from your completion of the written homework and your performance on the multiple-choice quiz. Because completion of the homework is crucial to success on the multiple-choice test, you will earn a zero if you hand it in late.  Remember, according to class policy, homework cannot be made up.

This is a standard assignment that you will complete at least once every two weeks. Keep this handout in your notebook because I am only going to give it to you only once. I will assign you different passages each time; however, the process will be the same.  If you misplace this handout, you will have to download a copy from my website. 

Type your paper. (Don't turn this handout back in – remember, you will use it again.)

REQUIREMENTS:

1.        Paraphrase the passage. Do this by paragraph, if the passage is organized into paragraphs. Be sure that your paraphrase includes all the important points in the passage.

2.        Explain the passage's central argument.

3.        Define and explain two assertions that support the central argument.

4.        Employing context clues, infer the definitions of words from the passage that are new to you. Record these words and their definitions. Then look up the words and record the dictionary definition.  Define the words/terms I supply you as well.  Remember that you won't be able to use a dictionary on the multiple-choice test over this passage.

5.        Record two examples of rhetorical strategies (one of the 3 appeals, any example of diction (word choice) or syntax (sentence structure), identify what kind of strategy it is (label the example) and then explain the effect of the rhetorical strategy.

YOU WILL TURN YOUR PAPER IN BEFORE TAKING THE QUIZ, SO USE A SEPARATE SHEET!!  DO NOT TYPE ON THE BACK OF THE PASSAGE.

On quiz day, you will staple the passage to the back of your completed quiz answers and submit.

Multiple-Choice Practice Exercise (pdf file)
Printer-friendly version of the handout

pdf file: You need Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 7 or higher) to view this file. Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader for PC or Macintosh.