February 7, 2010

1. February 7, 2010 Today’s Agenda Tackling the AP Multiple Choice? Exam Follow up MC CHALLENGE Homework: practice MC questions “The American Football Game”

2. Tackling the AP Multiple Choice? “The multiple-choice sections of the AP English Language and AP English Literature Exams are often the most challenging for both teachers and students. The multiple-choice section focuses more on the process than the product. It is hard to provide measures that guarantee success, and students are often frustrated with their lack of improvement. I have tried a number of strategies to improve my students' scores, but unfortunately, there is no "magic bullet" for success. It really comes down to frequent practice and in-depth discussions about what works and what does not for students and teachers alike.”

3. Tackling the AP Multiple Choice? “Don't think too hard. There are easy questions and there are hard questions. Don't let the easy questions mislead you. If you come across what seems like an easy question, it probably is. Don't suspect everything to be a trick question.” “Guess if you have to. Part of pacing is moving on when you come to a question that stumps you.” Remember that you are only looking for the best answer, not merely a correct one

4. The 5 Most Common AP MC Patterns 1. The straightforward question. “The passage is an example of” C. Compare/contrast essay “The pronoun “it” refers to” B. his gait • The question that refers you to specific lines and asks you to draw a conclusion or to interpret. • “Lines 52-57 serve to” • A. Reinforce the author’s thesis

5. The 5 Most Common AP MC Patterns The ALL… EXCEPT question requires more time, because it demands that you consider every possibility “The AP English Language and Composition exam is all of the following except A. It is given in May of each year B. It is open to high school seniors C. It is published in the New York Times D. It is used as a qualifier for college credit E. It is a 3-hour test

6. The 5 Most Common AP MC Patterns • The question that asks you to make an inference or to abstract a concept not directly stated in the passage • “In ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail,’ the reader can infer that the speaker is • A. religious

7. The 5 Most Common AP MC Patterns • The killer question! It even uses Roman Numerals! This question is problematic and time consuming. You can be certain that each exam will have a couple of these questions lurking within!!! • “In the passage ‘night’ refers to” • I. The death of the young woman • II. A pun on Sir William’s title • III. The end of the affair • I only • I and II • I and III • II and III • I, II, and III

8. Parallel Structure • Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. • -Mary likes hiking, swimming, and biking • Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride her bicycle. • Not parallel: The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed manner. • Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.

9. Parallel Structure Exam #4 Near the end of the third paragraph, Dillard states, “The essayist does what we do with our lives; the essayist thinks about actual things. He can make sense of them analytically or artistically.” The most probable reason for the author choosing to write two separate sentences rather than constructing a single longer sentence using a listing, is To reinforce cause and effect Both subjects are of equal importance, although separate processes To create a parallel situation To contrast the two ideas To highlight the criticism of fictional writing

10. Parallel Structure Exam #8 An example of parallel structure is found in which of the following lines taken from the passage? “But eschewing it serves to limit fiction’s materials a little further, and likely contributed to our being left with the short story of scant idea.” “The essay may deal in metaphor better than the poem can, in someway because prose may expand what the lyric poem must compress.” “The elements in any nonfiction should be true not only artistically… the connections must hold base…” “…that is the convention and the covenant between the nonfiction writer and his reader.” “In either case he renders the real world coherent and meaningful; even if only a bit of it, and even if that coherence and meaning reside only inside small texts.”

11. Parallel Structure Exam # 18 In the middle of the passage, the sentence, “’Enjoy it as it deserves,’ I should say to him; ‘take possession of it, explore it to its utmost extent, publish it, rejoice in it,’ “ includes an example of A complex sentence Parallel structure An analogy Inversion Passive voice

12. Antithesis Rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangement s of words, clauses, or sentences. Exam # 16 In the seventh sentence, “the danger that he has in mind is rather, I imagine, that of particularizing,” the word “rather” is used to establish A paradox An analogy An ambiguity A syllogism An antithesis "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."(MLK, Jr., speech at St. Louis, 1964) "You're easy on the eyesHard on the heart."(Terri Clark)

13. Author’s Attitude = TONE The more familiar you are with TONE WORDS the easier it will be to identify them... Especially when tone words, often times, are similar. ** Remember it’s the authors attitude toward his/her SUBJECT = TONE Exam # 12 (Henry James responds to a critic) From the opening of the passage, it is clear that the author’s attitude toward the creation of a work of art is Democratic Indifferent Superficial Reverent- deeply respectful/awe Elitist-pride in belonging to a select/favored group “No good novel will ever proceed from a superficial mind.” “I should remind the ingenuous student first of the …” “This freedom is a splendid privilege, and the first lesson of the young novelist is to learn to be worthy of it.”

14. Author’s Attitude = TONE Exam # 21 (Henry James responds to literary critic) The over-all tone of the passage can best be described as A. Informal and sarcastic casual & sneering/cutting B. Condescending and sardonic patronizing & bitter/scornful sneering Didactic and exhortative instructive & encouraging/advising D. Reverential and laudatory showing deep respect & expressing praise Indignant and contemptuous anger cause from unfairness & disdainful/scornful When identifying TONE- BOTH words must be a match!! Remember, not only a correct answer BUT THE BEST ONE!

15. Author’s Attitude = TONE Exam # 36 (A Disappointed Woman) The tone of the passage can best be described as Pedantic and cynical overly concerned w/ details & bitterly sneering B. Flippant and irreverent frivolous/lacking seriousness & not respectful C. Reverent and somber respectful & dull/gloomy D. Indignant and argumentative anger characterize by unfairness & disputatious E. Ambivalent and resigned uncertainty & submission

16. MC CHALLENGE CORRECT JUSTIFICATIONS: For Transc. test, I am going to give you the correct MC answers. Disregard the other options- you will JUSTIFY the correct answer. (For only the ones you got incorrect) AP TEST WRITER: You get to be College Board! Read the passage “from a Southern woman’s diary written during the Civil War” and create 5 AP Multiple Choice questions- use one of each of the 5 patterns.

17. February 7, 2010 Today’s Agenda Tackling the AP Multiple Choice? Exam Follow up MC CHALLENGE Homework: practice MC questions “The American Football Game”