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Praxis Middle School Language Arts

Subjects : praxis, english
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A story about a person's life written by another person.






2. A literary technique in which the author gives hints or clues about what is to come at some point later in the story.






3. The flaw that leads to the downfall of a tragic hero; this term comes from the Greek word hybris - which means 'excessive pride.'






4. A narrative that is made up of fantastic characters and creatures - such as witches - goblins - and fairies - and usually begins with the phrase 'Once upon a time...' Examples include Rapunzel - Cinderella - Sleeping Beauty - and Little Red Riding Ho






5. A novel comprised of idealized events far removed from everyday life. This genre includes the subgenres of gothic ____ and medieval ____. Examples include Mary Shelly's Frankenstein - William Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida - and King Horn (anonym






6. A pair of lines of poetic verse written in iambic pentameter.






7. Simple - compound (conjunctions) - complex (subordination) - compound - complex (conjunctions and subordination).






8. A turn from the general audience to address a specific group of persons (or a personified abstraction) who is present of absent. For example - in a recent performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet - Hamlet turned to the audience and spoke directly to one w






9. A fourteen - line poem - usually written in iambic pentameter - with a varied rhyme scheme. Two main types are Petrarchan (or Italian) and the Shakespearean (or English). A Petrarchan opens with an octave that states a proposition and ends with a ses






10. The use of words to create pictures in the reader's mind.






11. The role of context in the interpretation of meaning.






12. A variation of a language used by people who live in a particular geographical area.






13. A word which can be used instead of a noun. Ex instead of saying John is a student - the ____ he can be used in place of the noun John and the sentence becomes He is a student.






14. An expository piece written with eloquence that becomes part of the recognized literature of an era. Often reveal historical facts - the social mores of the times - and the thoughts and personality of the author. Some have recorded and influenced the






15. A group of words containing a subject and a predicate and forming part of a compound or complex sentence.






16. The multiple use of a word - phrase - or idea for emphasis or rhythmic effect.






17. How the author uses words - phrases - and sentences to form ideas.






18. Specialized language used in a particular field or content area






19. A wise saying - usually short and written.






20. The study of the structure of sentences.






21. The specialized language of a particular group or culture. Ex. in the field of education...rubric - tuning protocol - and deskilling.






22. A short poem about personal feelings and emotions.






23. A story in which people (or things or actions) represent an idea or a generalization about life. Usually have a strong lesson or moral.






24. The feeling a text evokes in the reader - such as sadness - tranquility - or elation.






25. Persuasive writing.






26. Old - fashioned words that are no longer used in common speech - such as thee - thy - and thou.






27. A narrative about human actions that is perceived by both the teller and the listeners to have taken place within human history and that possesses certain qualities that give the tale the appearance of truth or reality. Washington Irvin's The Legend






28. The perspective from which a story is told.






29. A text or performance that imitates and mocks an author or work.






30. The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning.






31. A word which describes or gives more information about a noun or pronoun. Ex. The lazy dog sat on the rug - the word lazy is an ____ which gives more information about the noun dog.






32. Language that shows disrespect for others or something sacred.






33. The telling of a story.






34. The study of the meaning in language.






35. A type of pun - or play on words - that results when two words become mixed up in the speaker's mind






36. A reference to a familiar person - place - thing - or event






37. An author's choice of words based on their clearness - conciseness - effectiveness - and authenticity.






38. The purpose of a particular action differs greatly from the result






39. A suspenseful story that deals with a puzzling crime. Examples include Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Murder in Rue Morgue' and Charles Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood.






40. A long narrative poem detailing a hero's deeds. Examples include The Aenied by Vergil - The Illiad and The Odyssey by Homer - Beowulf - Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - and Hiawath






41. Expressions that are usually accepted in informal situations or regions - such as 'wicked awesome.'






42. A lesson a work of literature is teaching.






43. A poem that is a mournful lament for the dead. Examples include William Shakespeare's 'Eligy' from Cymbeline - Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Requiem -' and Alfred Lord Tennysone's 'In Memoriam.'






44. Rhyme that occurs within a line of verse.






45. A phrase that consists of two contradictory terms






46. The act or an example of substituting a mild - indirect - or vague term for one considered harsh - blunt - or offensive.






47. A word which names a person - place or thing. Ex. boy - river - friend - Mexico - triangle - day - school - truth - university - idea - John F. Kennedy - movie






48. A contradictory statement that makes sense






49. The most specific or direct meaning of a word - in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings.






50. Verse that contains an irregular metrical pattern and line length; also known as vers libre.