GMAS: HYBERBOLE, PERSONIFICATION & IDIOMS

A flock of birds eating under a tree. There must have been a thousand of them, but they did not make any sound as they ate.

A hunter came along and threw a heavy net over the flock. The hunter was so hungry he could eat a horse. He was pleased to have found this meal. Suddenly the birds started flapping their wings. They worked together, rising high up in the air despite the weight of the net. The sound of their wings echoed for miles around. They settled onto a tree and let the nest rest in the branches. The birds were so tired they could have slept for a week, but now they were free.

"The strength of many birds acting together is far more powerful than one bird could be," the amazed hunter thought to himself. A single bird could have knocked him over. That's how surprised he was!

*(Hyperbole is an exaggeration to show that something is very important, funny, or dramatic.

In the passage, the phrase there must have been a thousand of them means

• the birds were crowded togther

• there was a great number of birds.

• more birds came and joined the flock.

• you could count a thousand birds.

A flock of birds eating under a tree. There must have been a thousand of them, but they did not make any sound as they ate.

A hunter came along and threw a heavy net over the flock. The hunter was so hungry he could eat a horse. He was pleased to have found this meal. Suddenly the birds started flapping their wings. They worked together, rising high up in the air despite the weight of the net. The sound of their wings echoed for miles around. They settled onto a tree and let the nest rest in the branches. The birds were so tired they could have slept for a week, but now they were free.

"The strength of many birds acting together is far more powerful than one bird could be," the amazed hunter thought to himself. A single bird could have knocked him over. That's how surprised he was!

*(Hyperbole is an exaggeration to show that something is very important, funny, or dramatic.

Which sentence contains an example of hyperbole?

• A hunter came along and threw a heavy net over the flock.

• Suddenly the birds started flapping their wings.

• The sound of their wings echoed for miles around.

• They worked together, rising high up in the air despite the weight of the net.

A flock of birds eating under a tree. There must have been a thousand of them, but they did not make any sound as they ate.

A hunter came along and threw a heavy net over the flock. The hunter was so hungry he could eat a horse. He was pleased to have found this meal. Suddenly the birds started flapping their wings. They worked together, rising high up in the air despite the weight of the net. The sound of their wings echoed for miles around. They settled onto a tree and let the nest rest in the branches. The birds were so tired they could have slept for a week, but now they were free.

"The strength of many birds acting together is far more powerful than one bird could be," the amazed hunter thought to himself. A single bird could have knocked him over. That's how surprised he was!

*(Hyperbole is an exaggeration to show that something is very important, funny, or dramatic.

In the passage, the phrase so hungry he could eat a horse is used to show that the hunter

• hoped to eat sometime soon.

• wanted to catch a meal.

• hoped to find a horse for dinner,

• was very hungry.

A flock of birds eating under a tree. There must have been a thousand of them, but they did not make any sound as they ate.

A hunter came along and threw a heavy net over the flock. The hunter was so hungry he could eat a horse. He was pleased to have found this meal. Suddenly the birds started flapping their wings. They worked together, rising high up in the air despite the weight of the net. The sound of their wings echoed for miles around. They settled onto a tree and let the nest rest in the branches. The birds were so tired they could have slept for a week, but now they were free.

"The strength of many birds acting together is far more powerful than one bird could be," the amazed hunter thought to himself. A single bird could have knocked him over. That's how surprised he was!

*(Hyperbole is an exaggeration to show that something is very important, funny, or dramatic.

The phrase so tired they could have slept for a week describes

• the hunter after the birds escaped.

• the birds right before they were caught,

• the birds after they escaped from the nest.

• the hunter as he threw the net on the birds.

A flock of birds eating under a tree. There must have been a thousand of them, but they did not make any sound as they ate.

A hunter came along and threw a heavy net over the flock. The hunter was so hungry he could eat a horse. He was pleased to have found this meal. Suddenly the birds started flapping their wings. They worked together, rising high up in the air despite the weight of the net. The sound of their wings echoed for miles around. They settled onto a tree and let the nest rest in the branches. The birds were so tired they could have slept for a week, but now they were free.

"The strength of many birds acting together is far more powerful than one bird could be," the amazed hunter thought to himself. A single bird could have knocked him over. That's how surprised he was!

*(Hyperbole is an exaggeration to show that something is very important, funny, or dramatic.)

Find the hyperbole in paragraph 3. Rewrite it in your own words.

I was nine years old when my parents told me they were selling our house. I felt as though a ton of bricks had landed on my chest. I could hardly breath. That house meant more to me than all the tea in China! I couldn't imagine life anywhere else.

Why? Well, I was born there! I don't mean that I came home from the hospital to that house. I was literally born there. the night I was born my hometown was colder than the North Pole. It was actually the coldest night in our town's history. My dad went out to start the car, thinking that he couldn't expose my mother to the freezing temperatures. By the time he came back in to get her, like ten seconds later, there I was, lying in my mother's arms. My cries were louder than a foghorn. Good thing my grandmother was a doctor. Fortunately, I was a very healthy baby. The next day my parents took me to the hospital just to be sure. Now do you see why that house was more important to me than all the money in the world?

The idea of selling our house just broke my heart. When something like that happens, you never forget it.

Which sentence from the passage contains an example of hyperbole?

• I could hardly breathe.

• I couldn't imagine life anywhere else.

• I felt as though a ton of bricks had landed on my chest.

• I was nine years old when my parents told me they were selling our house.

I was nine years old when my parents told me they were selling our house. I felt as though a ton of bricks had landed on my chest. I could hardly breath. That house meant more to me than all the tea in China! I couldn't imagine life anywhere else.

Why? Well, I was born there! I don't mean that I came home from the hospital to that house. I was literally born there. the night I was born my hometown was colder than the North Pole. It was actually the coldest night in our town's history. My dad went out to start the car, thinking that he couldn't expose my mother to the freezing temperatures. By the time he came back in to get her, like ten seconds later, there I was, lying in my mother's arms. My cries were louder than a foghorn. Good thing my grandmother was a doctor. Fortunately, I was a very healthy baby. The next day my parents took me to the hospital just to be sure. Now do you see why that house was more important to me than all the money in the world?

The idea of selling our house just broke my heart. When something like that happens, you never forget it.

In the passage, the phrase meant more to me than all the tea in China means

• the house was very expensive.

• the house was a great place to have a cup of tea.

• the house was located in China.

• the house was very important to the narrator.

I was nine years old when my parents told me they were selling our house. I felt as though a ton of bricks had landed on my chest. I could hardly breath. That house meant more to me than all the tea in China! I couldn't imagine life anywhere else.

Why? Well, I was born there! I don't mean that I came home from the hospital to that house. I was literally born there. the night I was born my hometown was colder than the North Pole. It was actually the coldest night in our town's history. My dad went out to start the car, thinking that he couldn't expose my mother to the freezing temperatures. By the time he came back in to get her, like ten seconds later, there I was, lying in my mother's arms. My cries were louder than a foghorn. Good thing my grandmother was a doctor. Fortunately, I was a very healthy baby. The next day my parents took me to the hospital just to be sure. Now do you see why that house was more important to me than all the money in the world?

The idea of selling our house just broke my heart. When something like that happens, you never forget it.

In the passage, the phrase colder than the North Pole means

• it was very cold on the night the narrator was born.

• the weather in that town was always severe.

• the narrator's father couldn't start the car in time.

• the narrator was born at the North Pole.

I was nine years old when my parents told me they were selling our house. I felt as though a ton of bricks had landed on my chest. I could hardly breath. That house meant more to me than all the tea in China! I couldn't imagine life anywhere else.

Why? Well, I was born there! I don't mean that I came home from the hospital to that house. I was literally born there. the night I was born my hometown was colder than the North Pole. It was actually the coldest night in our town's history. My dad went out to start the car, thinking that he couldn't expose my mother to the freezing temperatures. By the time he came back in to get her, like ten seconds later, there I was, lying in my mother's arms. My cries were louder than a foghorn. Good thing my grandmother was a doctor. Fortunately, I was a very healthy baby. The next day my parents took me to the hospital just to be sure. Now do you see why that house was more important to me than all the money in the world?

The idea of selling our house just broke my heart. When something like that happens, you never forget it.

Which sentence from the passage contains an example of hyperbole?

*(A hyperbole is an exaggeration that can't possibly be true).

• Fortunately, I was a very healthy baby.

• Good thing my grandmother was a doctor.

• It was actually the coldest night in our town's history.

• My cries were louder than a foghorn.

I was nine years old when my parents told me they were selling our house. I felt as though a ton of bricks had landed on my chest. I could hardly breath. That house meant more to me than all the tea in China! I couldn't imagine life anywhere else.

Why? Well, I was born there! I don't mean that I came home from the hospital to that house. I was literally born there. the night I was born my hometown was colder than the North Pole. It was actually the coldest night in our town's history. My dad went out to start the car, thinking that he couldn't expose my mother to the freezing temperatures. By the time he came back in to get her, like ten seconds later, there I was, lying in my mother's arms. My cries were louder than a foghorn. Good thing my grandmother was a doctor. Fortunately, I was a very healthy baby. The next day my parents took me to the hospital just to be sure. Now do you see why that house was more important to me than all the money in the world?

The idea of selling our house just broke my heart. When something like that happens, you never forget it.

*(A hyperbole is an exaggeration that can't possibly be true).

The narrator uses the phrase more important to me than all the money in the world to show that

• the house is worth more money than other houses.

• the house is extremely important to the narrator.

• they need to raise a lot of money to keep the house.

• they have to sell the house to raise some money.