E2.8.F
Description:
Analyze how the author's diction and syntax contribute to the mood, voice, and tone of a text.
Maps to Reading Plus skills:
4C, 5C, 6B, 6C, 6C
Exemplars
6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone
6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone
Description:
Recognizing Mood and Tone
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
I-7
I-7
Grade level: 9
Word count: 1833 words
Author: Charles Dickens
Synopsis: A young orphan, whose life's expectations are dim, meets a strange man while visiting his parents' graves in the village churchyard.
Excerpt:
At such a time I found out for certain that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard, and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried; and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias, and Roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried; and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dikes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing was the sea; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry was Pip.
Question:
Read this excerpt from the selection. The author's description of the setting gives the story a feeling of
- loneliness.
- frustration.
- nervousness.
- panic.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
What kinds of language or other text structure elements (tone) are used to create a dramatic or fearful mood? Use details from a selection you have read to illustrate and explain your answer.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
4C: Visualizing
4C: Visualizing
Description:
Visualizing
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
I-12
I-12
Grade level: 9
Word count: 2083 words
Author: Jake Gibson
Synopsis: The term avatar and the concept behind its use in video games have roots in Hindu mythology.
Excerpt:
The prophecy continues with Vishnu incarnating as Kalki, a warrior similar in appearance to the Rama avatar. Kalki is supposed to enter India bearing weapons and riding on a white horse. This final avatar is considered god-like, possessing unlimited power and singlehandedly defeating the invaders in India.
Question:
According to the prophecy, what will the people expect to see when the avatar Kalki arrives in India to defeat the foreign invaders?
- a warrior bearing weapons on a white horse
- a gold-skinned god descending from heaven
- a wild animal carrying a demon in its teeth
- a monster ascending from the seafloor
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe an example of a particularly vivid scene from a selection. Explain what technique the author used to create such a clear picture of the setting or event you found memorable.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
5C: Examining Genre
5C: Examining Genre
Description:
Examining Genre
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
I-42
I-42
Grade level: 9
Word count: 2284 words
Author: James Herbert Walker
Synopsis: The Johnstown Flood was one of the worst calamities in American history. More than 2,000 people were killed in this tragic event.
Excerpt:
No excerpt is available for this question.
Question:
This selection is best described as
- narrative nonfiction.
- an autobiography.
- a speech.
- science fiction.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Choose an expository piece, such as a speech or an essay. Describe how the author uses language to relay information, or make (or respond) to an argument.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
6B: Recognizing Persuasion
6B: Recognizing Persuasion
Description:
Recognizing Persuasive Devices
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
I-6
I-6
Grade level: 9
Word count: 1546 words
Author: Henry David Thoreau
Synopsis: Have you ever felt that life is just work, work, work? That's just what Thoreau felt too, over 150 years ago.
Excerpt:
Imagine a man was tossed out of a window when he was an infant, and so made paralyzed for life. Or imagine he was scared out of his wits by an unexpected attack, bound to an inability to think or reason. To most men today, either of these unfortunate events is regrettable chiefly because the man was incapacitated for business! I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, to life itself, than this incessant business.
Question:
How is this part of the selection written?
- as an emotional appeal to connect with readers on a personal level
- as a presentation of facts that are supported by extensive research
- as an analysis of historical events that explains why certain problems repeat
- as a sentimental flashback that shows how much people have in common
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Imagine you want to make a documentary about a non-fiction selection you read. Describe the steps you would need to take to make your documentary as accurate and unbiased as possible.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone
6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone
Description:
Recognizing Mood and Tone
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
I-9
I-9
Grade level: 9
Word count: 1814 words
Author: Tamara Smith
Synopsis: Want to change the world? Then do what Wangari did: plant a tree.
Excerpt:
She founded her own organization called Envirocare, a business dedicated to the empowerment and independence of women through the planting of trees. This opportunity gave many women the confidence and agency to direct not only their own lives but also the future of their country. Envirocare unfortunately ran into many financial problems and ultimately failed. But Wangari knew she had created an important model and was determined to find new solutions.
Question:
The primary tone in this part of the selection is one of
- persistence.
- jubilation.
- hesitation.
- impatience.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
What kinds of language or other text structure elements (tone) are used to create an excited or adventurous mood? Use details from a selection you have read to illustrate and explain your answer.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions