Practice - Analyze Author's Purpose & Word Meanings

Read this paragraph. What is the author's purpose?

• Inform readers about the differences between cats and dogs

• Persuade readers to think dogs are better pets than cats

• Entertain readers with an anecdote about animals

How does the author convey his point of view or message in the text?

• The author compares cats with dogs to demonstrate how dogs are more fun and better pets

• The author describes how to train a dog and how much a person can connect with dogs

• The author describes all the ways that cats can be similar to dogs

What word choices let the reader know the author's purpose and tone?

• new pet, walk, waiting, wagging

• trust me, opinion, better, love, healthier

• loyal, door, hiding, excercising

What is the author's purpose in this text?

• to compare and contrast different species of birds

• inform the reader about the how songbirds survive in the wild

• inform the reader about some characteristics of birds

Read the paragraph. What is the author's perspective?

• the author thinks Disneyland has a lot of negatives

• the author thinks Disneyland is the best place

• the author feels hot dogs and water are not the best lunch

How does the author develop her central idea?

• The author illustrates the difficulties going to Disneyland using examples

• The author explains how the price of the ticket is way too high so she could not enjoy the park

• The author describes what is wrong with Disneyland and how it could be better

Use context clues to figure out the meaning of the underlined word:

His emaciation, that is, his skeleton-like appearance, was frightening to see

• very scary

• skeleton-like

• strong

Use context clues to figure out the meaning of the underlined word:

Celestial bodies, including the sun, moon, and stars, have fascinated man through the centuries

• objects in the sky

• planets

• interesting topics

Use context clues to determine the meaning of the underlined word:

The mountain pass was a tortuous road, winding and twisting like a snake around the trees of the mountainside.

• gravel

• exciting

• difficult

How does the figurative language (simile) in this sentence impact the meaning?

The mountain pass was a tortuous road, winding and twisting like a snake around the trees of the mountainside.

• it creates an image of animals

• it creates a feeling of danger

• it defines the meaning of tortuous