Tone, Mood, Central Idea, and Theme

The tone of a passage, poem, or song is...

• how you feel after you read or listen to the piece

• the author's attitude toward their work

• the hidden message or lesson learned in the passage

• the main point of what the passage is all about

Identify the tone in the following sentence: "The sun rose gently, bathing the world in a soft, golden light, promising a day full of hope and joy."

• Sad

• Optimistic

• Suspenseful

• Angry

The moment the words were out of my mouth, I wished I could take them back. I didn't mean to hurt Keith's feelings. He is such a nice person, and he certainly doesn't deserve to be treated so poorly. I guess the stress from my job has been more than I can handle. Instead of taking my problems out on him, I need to deal directly with the people who create the stress. If only I didn't care so much what people thought of me at work, then this would not have happened.

Question: The tone of the passage can best be described as_________.

• Hopeful

• Regretful

• Horrified

• Hatred

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

A deep, resonant voice answers when I call home.

My child is gone—

In his place is someone who resembles him,

only taller, size ten shoes.

Empty sneakers and dirty socks mark his passage down vacant halls.

Question: The tone of the passage can best be described as_________.

• Confused

• Stunned

• Sentimental

• Fearful

The central idea of a passage, poem, or song is...

• how you feel after you read or listen to the piece

• the hidden message or lesson learned in the passage

• the author's attitude toward their work

• the main point of what the passage is all about

Central idea is a synonym for............

• setting
•  character
• point of view
• main idea

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Which answer best conveys the central idea of the passage?

Imagine this: David and Michael were feeling quite lost, wandering through a new city. Suddenly, they met Ghulam Ali, a complete stranger, who said, "I will help you." That's the magic of life. You never know when and where you will encounter a spot of human decency. David and Michael had felt alone at times; they had known long periods of being no one. But then, without warning, a person like Ghulam Ali just turns up and says, "I see you. I am on your side." Strangers have been kind to them when it mattered most. That sustains a person's hope and faith.

• Ghulam Ali is a good person.

• Ghulam Ali was a stranger to David and Michael.

• David and Michael feel lonely.

• The kindness of others can save a person in dark times.

Which answer conveys the central idea of the passage?

The mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves from their enemy, the cat. They wished to find a way of knowing when she was coming, so they could have time to run away. They lived in such constant fear of her claws that they hardly dared to leave their dens, day or night.

Many plans were discussed, but none were deemed good enough. Finally, a very young mouse suggested:

"I have a plan that seems very simple, but I know it will be successful. All we have to do is hang a bell around the cat's neck. When we hear the bell ringing, we will know immediately that our enemy is coming."

The mice were surprised they had not thought of this plan before. But in the midst of their rejoicing, an old mouse asked:

"I agree that the plan of the young mouse is very good. But let me ask one question: Who will bell the cat?"

• A cat catches all the mice in the house and eats them. Then it finds a bell and decides that the bell was not as fun as the mice.

• A group of mice trap a cat and put a bell around its tail to keep the cat away from the mice.

• A group of mice plan to put a bell around a cat's neck to alert them when it's coming, but none of them is brave enough to do it.

• A group of mice lock a cat outside of their home.

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

The mood of a passage, poem, or song is...

• the main point of what the passage is all about

• the author's attitude toward their work

• the hidden message or lesson learned in the passage

• how you feel after you read or listen to the piece

Which answer best conveys the mood of the passage?

I see the eight of us in the Annex as if we were a patch of blue sky surrounded by menacing black clouds. The perfectly round spot on which we’re standing is still safe, but the clouds are moving in on us, and the ring between us and the approaching danger is being pulled tighter and tighter. We’re surrounded by darkness and danger, and in our desperate search for a way out we keep bumping into each other. We look at the fighting down below and the peace and beauty up above. In the meantime, we’ve been cut off by the dark mass of clouds, so that we can go neither up nor down. It looms before us like an impenetrable wall, trying to crush us, but not yet able to. I can only cry out and implore, “Oh, ring, ring, open wide and let us out!”

• relaxed

• unsure

• frustrated

• anticipating