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CSET English Reading Understanding Text

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 figure of speech in which a speaker addresses an absent person - inanimate object or idea






2. A person portrayed in a literary work






3. A type of pun - or play on words - that results when the speaker gets two words mixed up (ex: We watched the flamingo dancers all day)






4. A pair of rhymed lines in iambic pentameter that work together to make a point or express an idea






5. A lesson about right and wrong conduct taught in a fable or parable






6. The methods - direct and indirect - used by a writer to reveal a character's personality






7. A figure of speech that uses the word 'like' or 'as' to compare two unlike things






8. The central understanding about life as expressed in a work of literature; may be stated or expressed directly; usually implied or revealed gradually through events - dialogue - and outcome






9. The repetition of final consonant sounds in words containing different vowels (ex: fresh cash - yard bird)






10. A category or type of literature - defined by its style - form - and content (ex: poetry - drama - fiction - and nonfiction)






11. Seven feet per line of poetry






12. A rhythmical pattern in verse that is made up of stressed and unstressed syllables






13. A word or phrase that is so overused that it has lost its expressive power






14. A symbol - image - plot pattern - or character type that occurs often in literature - such as the hero on a dangerous quest






15. The larger - than - life central character in an epic (a long narrative poem about events of crucial importance to the history of a culture/nation)






16. The rhythmic rise and fall of oral language






17. The flaw that leads to the downfall of a tragic hero; the word comes from the Greek word hybris meaning 'excessive pride'






18. Rhyme that occurs within a line of verse






19. An interruption in the chronological sequence of a narrative to leap forward in time






20. A feeling of curiosity or dread about what will happen next in a story






21. The recurrence of sounds - words - phrases - lines - or stanzas in a literary work or speech






22. The central character in a literary work - around whom the action revolves






23. A figure of speech in which a comparison in implied but not stated (ex: The snow was a white blanket)






24. A narrative in which situations and characters are invented by the author






25. A statement or situation that seems to be contradictory but actually makes sense (ex: the more I learn - the less I know)






26. Three feet per line of poetry






27. Writing or speech that tells a story






28. Five feet per line of poetry






29. The use of a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or expected meaning.






30. A short - witty verse or saying; similar to aphorism or maxim






31. The outcome - or resolution - of the plot






32. The pattern of sound created by stressed and unstressed syllable - particularly in poetry






33. A significant word - phrase - idea - description - or other element repeated throughout a literary work and related to the theme






34. A concluding statement or section added to a work of literature






35. Type of diction; a variety of language used by people in particular geographic area






36. Verse that tells a story






37. The perspective from which a story is told






38. The repetition of the same stressed vowel sounds and any succeeding sounds in two or more words






39. Type of diction; expressions usually accepted in informal situations






40. A specific kind of figurative language such as - simile - personification - metaphor - or hyperbole






41. A stanza made up of two rhyming lines that follow the same rhythmic pattern






42. Six feet per line of poetry






43. The point of view/perspective of a story when it is told by one character who uses the pronouns I and me






44. The literary representation of a character's free - flowing thought processes - memories - and emotions; often does not use conventional sentence structure or rules of grammar






45. An occurrence is the opposite of what was expected






46. A literary movement and philosophical attitude important during the mid -19th century in New England; emphasized reliance on intuition and conscience - focused on protesting materialism and Puritan ethic. Hallmarks of the movement: individualism - fr






47. A narrator who gives a faulty or distorted account of the events in a story; a child as a narrator might misinterpret someone's actions






48. The point of highest emotional intensity or suspense in a literary work






49. Type of diction; language that shows disrespect for others or something sacred






50. The assignment/application of human characteristics to animals - inanimate object - or gods (ex: Sponge Bob - Bugs Bunny)