Cracking the Multiple Choice Section

1. Cracking the Multiple Choice Section Breaking down the test

2. Part 1 • Looking at all three sections, decide which of the following EACH question is really asking about; this may require examining the answer choices: • Level 1: Content • Word’s Meaning • Main Idea • Author’s Purpose • Level 2: Style • Rhetorical Device • Structure of Passage/Sentence • Level 3: • Tone • Theme • Universal Implication • Label the level and the specific category [Ex: Level 3: Tone] to the left of the number.

3. Part 2 Questions Answers Look at the items you missed. Did you choose an answer that did not correspond to the category the question was actually asking about? • Look at your answers with your group. • Which question category did you do the worst on? • Level 1: Content • Word’s Meaning • Main Idea • Author’s Purpose • Level 2: Style • Rhetorical Device • Structure of Passage/Sentence • Level 3: • Tone • Theme • Universal Implication

4. Part 3 Distractors Things to Watch For: “$20 words” ‘big’ vocabulary words straight from the text The idea that “well, I don’t fully understand that word/answer, but it sounds smart, so it must be right” should be a RED FLAG Always and Never Summary • A good distractor is almost indistinguishable from the correct answer. • Find the distractor for each question from Reading 11- Music is My Bag • Highlight it

5. Part 4 If the Distractor… Then you should… Find something in the text that DIRECTLY supports that answer as being correct Assume it’s wrong- absolutes are usually there to point out the one time they aren’t absolute Be careful. Summarizing is rarely the way to answer ANY question on an AP test. • Uses “$100 words” ‘big’ vocabulary words straight from the text • The idea that “well, I don’t fully understand that word/answer, but it sounds smart, so it must be right” should be a RED FLAG • Uses Always and Never • Is a summary

6. Cracking the AP Multiple Choice How it’s Made

7. Part 5.1 • Read Stone Soup on p. 394-405 silently. • SOAPSTone the piece to the 3rd slash • Speaker • Occasion • Audience • Purpose • Subject • Tone

8. Part 5.5 • Read Women and the Future of Fatherhood by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead p. 405-412 • SOAPSTone the piece to the 3rd slash • Speaker • Occasion • Audience • Purpose • Subject • Tone

9. Part 6 • With your group, use the MC Question stems handout to write questions for your half of the story. • Two Level 1 questions • Two Level 2 questions • Two Level 3 questions • Level 1: Content • Word’s Meaning • Main Idea • Author’s Purpose • Level 2: Style • Rhetorical Device • Structure of Passage/Sentence • Level 3: • Tone • Theme • Universal Implication

10. Part 7 Writing Answers Tips for Writing the Distractor “Sexy answers” sound right! Use a $100 word from the passage Use an obscure rhetorical device Employing the ‘the answer is smarter than me’ fallacy Use always or never The answer itself is correct, but does not answer what was asked! (ex. Discusses author’s meaning, when tone was subject of question.) Summarize the passage or line rather than explaining it • Five different choices divided like this: • One Correct • One “sexy answer” (lures you into picking it) • One that answers the question if you only read part of the question • One mostly wrong • One a literate monkey wouldn’t choose • Must still be related to the question- “Cheeseburger” is not a valid 5th answer

11. Part 8 • Turn it in via Google Docs as ONE document per group. • Document should contain: • Group members names at top • Name of story and which piece your group had (1st or 2nd) • 6 questions, total • 5 answer choices per question • Correct answer starred at end of answer. (*) • Explanation of why this is the correct answer. Cite line numbers where possible.