Grade 12 Exam

Study notes

Exam Format

• Two reading passages

• Multiple choice questions, short-answer questions, and two essay
questions

Skills/Topics to be familiar with

• Using context clues to decipher word meaning

• Figurative language: metaphor, hyperbole, simile, personification
• Mood
• Using textual evidence to support a claim
• Theme
• Writing about yourself using main ideas and supporting details. (Using the skills you developed while writing
your personal statement.)
Identify the theme of the story
Identifying Theme

Directions: Determine what the theme is for each story and explain your answer. Remember, a theme is a lesson or
message in the story. Write in complete sentences.

1. When Katie Clean invited Messy Missy to her house to work on their biology project, she had no idea what a visit
from Messy Missy entailed. First of all, it was raining and Messy Missy neither bothered to take her boots off nor
thoroughly wiped them on the doormat. Then Messy Missy ate a bag of hot chips on Katie Clean’s white bedspread
without asking. Messy Missy is a sloppy eater too, so hot chip powder got all over the bedspread. Katie Clean tried to
be polite and ignore Messy Missy’s sloppy behavior. But then Messy Missy threw her chip wrapper on the floor.
Offended, Katie Clean pretended that she was sick and asked Messy Missy to leave. The next day Katie Clean asked
the teacher if she could work by herself. After Katie explained the situation, the teacher allowed Katie to work alone.
Messy Missy almost finished the assignment alone, but she spilled grape soda all over it and quit.

What is the theme of the story?___________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? ______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything handed to him on a silver
platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the
Bulls and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark’s bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen,
he wanted to start a band. His father hired the Mountain Boys to play with him every Saturday at the family’s private
concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He
was surrounded by a bunch of possessions that he didn’t appreciate. Nothing was new or exciting to him. Despite his
vast wealth, Money Mark never found happiness. Penny Petal was born poor. Her family hardly had anything to eat,
but they loved each other. Penny Petal appreciated every thing she got. When she was six, her father walked her
around the United Center before the Bulls played the Celtics. She was excited by the crazy fans and feeling in the air.
She looked forward to the day that she could see a real game. When she was thirteen, she learned to play the
buckets. She was an extremely talented musician, a natural percussionist. Everyone on the block loved the rhythms
that poured from her palms. By the time she was twenty-one, Penny was a successful businesswoman. Soon she had
everything that she had ever dreamed of having. She loved to share her wealth and happiness with her family, who
had supported her through the hard times.

What is the theme of the story?___________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? ______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton’s reading class. Mr. Morton wasn’t too strict about
deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. Sammy did all his homework in his other classes. But he never
bothered to complete Mr. Morton’s reading assignments. He figured that he could complete them later. Tammy, on
the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton had assigned every night. She had to stay up a little later,
but she knew that reading was the most important subject. She knew that if she learned to read well, then she could
teach herself anything. So she always worked hard in her reading class. When the end of the quarter came, Tammy
and Sammy had both planned on going to the Magic Castle amusement park. They were both so excited. But then
Mr. Morton called Sammy’s mother to report Sammy's grade. She grounded Sammy and that weekend was horrible
for him. He stayed up until 2:00 AM each night, yet he still couldn’t complete all the assignments. Meanwhile,
Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle. After that she stayed up late and watched movies. She
enjoyed her weekend free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a C
minus. Tammy earned an A. Yet, Sammy still hasn’t learned his lesson. He may not complete this activity either.

What is the theme of the story?___________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? ______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

4. Mr. Pig and Mr. Dog relaxing at the food court of the animal shopping mall. Mr. Pig was eating a huge feast of
pizza and drinking a large jug of fruit punch. Mr. Dog was watching him eat. "Hey, Mr. Pig. If you give me a slice of
your pizza, I'll let you have the next bone I find." Mr. Pig declined, even though it hurt his stomach to eat the last
three slices of pizza. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dog," Mr. Pig said between grunts, "but I paid for this pizza and it's all mine." Mr.
Dog sighed and waited for Mr. Pig to finish. Then they left the animal mall together. On the way out, a hunter
spotted them and gave chase. Mr. Pig normally could have escaped the hunter, but he was weighed down by the
large meal. Mr. Pig collapsed and the hunter seized him. Mr. Dog easily escaped. Later that night, Mr. Dog returned
to the scene. He caught the scent of something delicious and began digging around a trashcan. He found a large ham
bone with lots of meat and marrow still stuck to it. Mr. Dog happily ate.

What is the theme of the story?___________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? ______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

5. In his sophomore year of high school, basketball legend Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team.
But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play. The coach cut Jordan
from the team. Jordan didn’t let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed him to work even harder. He trained
vigorously and grew another four inches the following summer. The next year, Jordan made the varsity squad. He
averaged 25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history.

What is the theme of the story?___________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? ______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________
Context Clues 2.1

Directions: read each sentence and determine the meaning of the word using cross sentence clues or your prior
knowledge. Then, explain what clues in the sentence helped you determine the word meaning.

1. Detest: Everyone else at the party wanted garbage pizza but Tim because he detested vegetables.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

2. Alter: Grandpa didn’t know that Suzie was coming along on the fishing trip, and now he had to alter his plans.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

3. Melodramatic: When Kiki got a tiny cut on her pinky finger, she got all melodramatic and began sobbing and
demanding a doctor.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

4. Remorse: As Tommy walked home with the money from the church he had stolen in his pocket, powerful feelings
of remorse bubbled in his stomach.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

5. Inquiry: When the other moms heard about how Charlene had won the baking contest, her email box was
flooded with inquiries for her award winning muffin recipe.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
 What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

6. Perch: The children were perched on the edge of the sofa arms, waiting to hop off and land on the next unlucky
passerby.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

7. Earnest: Jeremiah joked around so much that when he told the others about the accident that had occurred, they
didn’t believe that he was being earnest.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

8. Jovial: Unlike Bob, who treated others rudely and kept to himself, Bobby was jovial, friendly, and outgoing.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

9. Demeanor: My grandma’s demeanor was such that people often thought she was being rude when she was just
being honest.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

10. Beckoned: The lady decided that it was tea time and so, by jingling a tiny silver bell, she beckoned her servants
to attend.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

11. Dismal: With the field torn up by the players’ cleats, and the cold rain falling in waves, conditions on the playing
field were dismal.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

12. Immense: Lula would have attempted the walk home, had it not been for the immense mountain that stood
between her and her destination.

Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________

What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Figurative Language Kit

Figurative Language
Kit.pdf

Have a look at the document above and answer the activities below.

Activity 1

Create a sentence for all the below figures of speech. All the sentences have to incorporate the theme of
loving animals. For example, onomatopoeia – The dog was excited therefore went “hoof” when it saw me
OR metaphor – Jack showed strength; the strength of a lion:

FIGURE OF SPEECH EXEMPLAR SENTENCE

Onomatopoeia
 Alliteration
Metaphor
Simile
Hyperbole
Personification
Idiom

ACTIVITY 2
Metaphors, simile, hyperbole, personification

Identify the figures of speech below:

1. He has a heart of gold.

2. Dale’s smile was as bright as the sun shine.

3. Life is a journey; travel it well

4. A wicked whisper came and changed my life.

5. Men's words are bullets that their enemies take up and make use of against them.

6. He roared with the force of a thousand lions.

7. The theater is his home.
8. There had been no rain for months and all the crops were death. Some parts of the farm were beginning to
look like a desert.
9. After a good night sleep, I felt like a million dollars.
10. Everyone wanted Ken on the swim team because he could swim like a fish.

11. James ran like a cheetah.

12. Good luck getting that out because blueberry stains are stubborn.

13. So I sit spinning still, round this decaying form, the fine threads of rare and subtle thought.
14. Well, that went over like a lead balloon.

15. I am so busy. I have a million things to do.

16. I so loved reading I was willing to walk 15 miles to the library in the snow, uphill.

17. He did not realize his last chance was walking out the door.
18. My old laptop throws a fit every time I try to use it.9. Easy-going

19. My love for you is a s deep as the ocean.

20. I was lost in a sea of nameless faces.

ACTIVITY 3
Label each statement using the seven figures of speech found above. Write an explanation explaining
your choice.
SENTENCE TYPE OF FIGURE OF EXPLANATION
SPEECH
1. Silly Sally sang a sad song.

2. Hold your horses.

3. Doing homework is like

doing chores.

4. The bathroom sink drip-

drips, drip-drips.

5. I have a ton of homework.

6. Streets are streams, cars are

fish.

7. Her hair was as dark as night.

8. I’ll finish washing dishes

faster than you can blink.

9. The cookies begged me to eat

them.

10. Peter Piper picked a pickle

pepper.

11. ”Ahhh”, “Weee”, “Woo-

hoo”, was all you heard on the
rollercoaster.

12. The rain gently kissed my

cheeks.

13. The stars winked at me.

14. My coffee was hot like lava.

15. A taste of your own

medicine.

16. Each morning, I woke to the

sound “Cock-a-doddle-doo.”

17. All bark and no bite.

 18. I am a rock, strong and
hard.

19. Weird Wally waits, wishes,

and whistles while wanting
watermelons.

20. I ate so much, I think I’m

going to explode.

21. The test was a walk in the

park.

Mood Worksheet 1

Directions: Read the passages and underline words and phrases that help set the mood. Write down the mood of
the passage and explain your answer.

1. Trey looked out the window. The rain was still pouring down. He threw his baseball glove on the couch with a sigh.
The thunder cracked and his phone dinged. Trey picked up the phone. It was a message from his cousin: The game is
cancelled because of the weather. Trey didn't reply to the message. He threw the phone back on his bed and rubbed
his temples. The rain pattered on the roof.

What is the mood of this paragraph? ______________________________________________________

Why do you believe this? Explain your answer by referring to the text.

2. Brett sweated in his chair. The clock in the classroom ticked loudly. Brett looked at the test question again. He had
no clue what the answer was. His teacher paced around the room. Brett felt like the teacher was circling him,
specifically him, not the rest of the class. "Remember, this test determines your future," the teacher said. Brett read
the choices again but they all blurred into a meaningless word soup. He could not concentrate. The clock kept
ticking, and the second hand sounded like a butcher's knife slamming down on a cutting board. "Time is running
out," said the teacher. Brett's heart pounded.

What is the mood of this paragraph? ______________________________________________________

Why do you believe this? Explain your answer by referring to the text.

3. Kiki the Cat licked her lips and stared at Bitty the Bird, who was singing a silly bird song in her cage. Cartoon noises
played in the background as the children watched TV. Kiki tiptoed to the edge of the kitchen counter. Bitty kept
singing, unaware of the creeping cat, but aware that she was protected by the metal birdcage. Kiki went for it. She
sprang toward the birdcage, but as she did she slipped on some milk on the counter that the children had spilled. Kiki
fell off the counter and landed in the trashcan. The lid closed on the milk-covered kitty. Laughter played on the
television. Bitty kept whistling.

What is the mood of this paragraph? ______________________________________________________

Why do you believe this? Explain your answer by referring to the text.

4. We thought the game was over. The buzzer rang and we thought that we had lost, but then the referee blew the
whistle. A foul was called and now Derrick had a chance to win the game for us. He stepped up to the free-throw
line. The stadium, though filled with people, was completely silent. Everyone was still. Derrick dribbled the ball a
couple times. He squared up on the line. Sweat beaded on his forehead. All eyes were on Derrick.

What is the mood of this paragraph? ______________________________________________________

Why do you believe this? Explain your answer by referring to the text.

5. Katie cut out the construction paper heart with great care. Her hand moved with precision. This was not going to
be an ordinary Valentines Day card. Katie was going to make it special. She went over the penciled letters with her
nicest pen. Classical music played in the background. Katie made fancy cursive letters. Slowly, gently, she pasted the
lace to the edges of the heart. Her mom was going to love this card as much as Katie loved her. It was almost
complete. Just a few more special touches to go.

What is the mood of this paragraph? ______________________________________________________

Why do you believe this? Explain your answer by referring to the text.

6. Duncan balled his test paper and threw it in the trash. He hit the bed with a crash and started crying. "I don't care
anymore," screamed Duncan in between sobs. He wished that somebody would check on him, that someone would
help him through this, but there was no one. He was home alone again. "What does it matter?" he screamed.
Nobody responded. The house was empty. Duncan's sobs echoed.

What is the mood of this paragraph? ______________________________________________________

Why do you believe this? Explain your answer by referring to the text.

7. Farmer Dave woke to the sound of the rooster's crow. The sun was peaking over the horizon. Dave wasted no time
getting ready. He wanted to get to the field and start planting. The TV news prattled on while his wife made coffee.
He paid no mind to either. He was working out his strategy for today, going over the rows in his mind. He had barely
taken two bites of his toast when he grabbed his boots. "I've got to get a move on it," said Farmer Dave. His wife
rolled her eyes and gave him a kiss. The day began.

What is the mood of this paragraph? ______________________________________________________

Why do you believe this? Explain your answer by referring to the text.

8. Thomas walked into the kitchen and the smell of fresh baked cookies filled his nose and lifted his heart. "Thomas?
Are you home already?" asked his mom. "Yeah, Mom, I've got some homework to do." She gave Thomas a big warm
hug and said, "I wanted to surprise you with some cookies." Thomas smiled and said, "You did, Mom. What a great
surprise." He took a bite of one and the gooey chocolate chips dissolved on his tongue.

What is the mood of this paragraph? ______________________________________________________

Why do you believe this? Explain your answer by referring to the text.

9. The cold wind whipped as Stanton raced against it. This was no night for a calm ride. The horse's hooves clicked as
Stanton whipped the reins. He clutched the king's message in one hand and his crossbow in the other. A wolf
howled. He saw motion in the bushes ahead. Not a good sign. It could be an ambush. Stanton extended his finger
over the trigger of the crossbow. More wolves howled together.
What is the mood of this paragraph? ______________________________________________________

Why do you believe this? Explain your answer by referring to the text.