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Last Minute Tips for the English II EOC. Read the Passage. You don't want to. There's a little voice inside of you that says, "Just look for the answers in the passage .“
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Read the Passage You don't want to. There's a little voice inside of you that says, "Just look for the answers in the passage.“ Don't listen to that voice. It is the voice of Satan who wants you to fail this test. On the plot level questions, seek and find won't help because the wrong answers are in the text too. Most questions are going to be answerable only to those who read the whole thing (theme, purpose, prediction, etc.)
Stretch Every so often you'll get a stretch break. You are told you can stand beside your desk to stretch. You will not want to do this, but it is important to do so. The longer you sit still, the slower your blood pumps. The slower your blood pumps, the less oxygen your brain gets. This makes you feel...sleepy and...lose...focus.
Look Up! - Literally! No, not now. Do it after you've finished answering all the questions on one of the passages. Before you start the next one, look away from the test book. This will make you refocus your thoughts and take a mini-break. Plus, it’s easier to do this thing one passage at a time.
Check the Clock There should be a time device in your room. When you look up from your test, take the time to glance at the clock. Then look at the board. The board should tell you when the next break is. Judge whether or not you can finish the next passage before break time. If you can't, stop and wait for the break.
Eat a Good Breakfast Your parents say they want you to do well in school, right? Well, now is the time for them to prove it! You needa hearty breakfast that will giveyour body plenty of fuel to stay focused. Maybe you can talk your mom into some pancakes. ...mmm….pancakes...
Go to Sleep No, not during the test! You don’t want to hear this, but a good night's sleep will give your body the energy it needs to stay alert and focused. Because your body gets on a schedule, you will really need to go to sleep early two nights in a rowbefore the test. Do this - count the number of hours a semester of English class is. Now count the number of hours you'll lose if you go to bed by 10:00 at the latest. I think you'll find going to sleep early is a better deal than repeating the course next year!
You think this test is hard. Well it is, and it's hard for everyone else taking it too. So just do your best and know that everyone else is freaking out. You'll be calm, and that's an advantage.
Don't be Thrown off by... Figurative language is, simply put, words that are not meant to be taken literally. Take this example from King Henry V: "His face is all bubukles, and whelks, and knobs, and flames of fire; and his lips plow at his nose, and it is like a coal of fire, sometimes blue, and sometimes red; but his nose is executed, and his fire is out." We are not supposed to think that he literally has flames on his face. This is Shakespeare being poetic.
Don't be Thrown off by ... (con’t) So when you run across something that doesn‘t make sense, chances are the author has used some sort of metaphor, personification, simile, etc. that you missed. Either figure out what the weird phrase means, or block it out and focus on what does make sense. The writers will pick texts with these types of techniques to throw you off. It is a mean test! Don't just read something confusing and then give up!
Use These to Help You Get Through the Poetry Passages Poetry can be tough for some. If it is for you, chances are you just don't understand what the author is doing. Remember this - poets have to get a lot of meaning into only a few words. So they use little tricks to help them pack that meaning into as little a space as possible. Here are some ways that they do this:
Use These to Help You Get Through the Poetry Passages (con't) • Archetypes - these are symbols that are used the same way worldwide. Recognize these and you'll have a better chance. For example, seasons often indicate where someone is in life, so a poem in the fall probably means someone is approaching old age or death. Colors usually mean exactly what you think they mean - dark colors are bad, light colors are good, red is violence, green is life.
Poetry Reminders • Pay attention to the rhyme scheme, if there is one. If the poet deviates from it, that usually means he/she is trying to draw your attention to it. For example, Shakespeare finishes each sonnet with a break in rhyme scheme. These are usually the two most important lines as far as the meaning of the sonnet goes. • Words like "but," "yet," and "therefore" often precede lines that reveal something important in the poem.
While you read, consider: The Purpose/Context: Is this a newspaper article or a letter? Is it personal or public? Is it written during a war or important historical event? Who is the Author?: Do you recognize him? Is she a scientist or a poet? Does he have a potential bias? Tone: Is it sarcastic or serious? Is it funny or sad?
Ace It For constructed response questions remember ACES. A - answerthe question OR restate the prompt (1 specific, straightforward sentence like a thesis) C - citeevidence from the text (depending on the examples needed, probably 1 to 2 sentences per prompt) E - explainyour examples in detail (2 to 3 sentences) S - sumit up (1 to 2 sentences to conclude)
Be Brief Although the text box will allow you to go on writing all day, it is only necessary to write 4 - 6 sentences. There are NO POINTS for elaboration, support, or detail. There are NO POINTS for extra thoughts you may choose to include – however interesting they may be! Remember to STAY FOCUSED and ONLY ANSWER WHAT THEY ASK YOU.
