English 9 1st Semester Honors Exam
Review Sheet
The exam will consist of multiple-choice reading comprehension & analysis questions for short stories &
poetry; a research skills section; a vocabulary section; and two written response prompts.
I. Students need to be able to define and identify/apply the following literary terms:
 Allusion – an indirect reference to another literary work or to a famous person, place, or event. It relies on the
reader being able to understand the allusion and being familiar with all of the meaning hidden behind the words.
 Hyperbole - is a figure of speech that uses an exaggerated or extravagant statement to create a strong emotional
response. As a figure of speech it is not intended to be taken literally. Hyperbole is frequently used for serious or
for comic effect.
 Imagery – consists of descriptive words and phrases that re-create sensory experiences for the reader. Imagery
usually appeals to one or more of the five senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch – to help the reader
imagine exactly what is being described.
 Irony – a special kind of contrast between appearance and reality – reality is the opposite from what it seems.
Three type of irony
Situational irony – the contrast expects and what actually exists or happens.
Dramatic irony – a situation where the reader or viewer knows something that a
character does not know.
Verbal irony – occurs when someone knowingly exaggerates or says one thing and
means another.
 Metaphor – a comparison of two things WITHOUT using the words ―like‖ or ―as‖.
 Personification – is giving human qualities to an object, animal, or idea. (ie. a smiling moon, a jovial sun)
 Simile – a comparison of two things using the words ―like‖ or ―as.‖
 Suspense – the growing tension, excitement, or interest felt by the reader, viewer, or listener.
 Symbolism – when one thing stands for or represents something else.
 Stanza – a group of lines that form a unit in a poem, roughly comparable to a paragraph.
 Couplet – a rhymed pair of lines.
 Quatrain – a four line stanza.
 Tone – the attitude a writer takes toward a subject.
 Style – not what is written but HOW it is written.
 Theme – the central idea or lesson about life a story conveys; the message or moral.
 Denotation - the literal or dictionary meaning of a word.
 Connotation - the emotions, values, or images associated with a word. The connotation of a word may be
positive or negative.
Character - a person, animal, or object acting out the events of the story.
Protagonist – the hero of the story, the ―good guy‖ who is trying to solve the problem.
Antagonist – the character who is working against the protagonist.
Dialogue – the spoken conversations between characters.
Flashback - an account of a conversation, episode, or event that happened before the beginning of a story.
Foreshadowing - a writer’s use of hints or clues to indicate events and situations that will occur later in a story.
Narrator – the character who is telling the story.
Plot – the sequence of events or action in a story.
o Exposition
o Rising action
o Climax
o Falling action
o Resolution
 Conflict – the problem to be solved during the story.
 External conflict – when a character is battling with another character or outside force.
 Internal conflict – when a character is debating or deciding within himself.
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 Point of view – the perspective from which the story is told.
 First person – the narrator is a part of the story and uses pronouns ―I,‖ ―me,‖ and ―we‖ to tell
the story.
 Third person limited – the narrator is an outside observer and uses pronouns ―he,‖ ―she,‖
―they,‖ to tell the story; is limited to the thoughts, feelings, actions, etc of one main character.
 Third person omniscient – the narrator is an outside observer and uses pronouns ―he,‖ ―she,‖
―they,‖ to tell the story; the narrator is ―all-knowing‖ and reveals information about all characters.
 Setting – the time, location, or atmosphere where the majority of the action takes place.
 Style - the particular way that a work of literature is written—not what is said, but how it is said.
 Rhyme scheme (and how to diagram it) – pattern of end rhyme in a poem; aabbcc
 Onomatopoeia – when the sound of the word goes with its meaning.
 Indirect characterization - an author revealing information about a character’s personality through his/her
action, speech, and thoughts.
 Direct characterization – an author directly states information about a character’s personality.
II. BCR Prompts: Students will complete TWO BCR’s.
Students should review major plot points of The Odyssey and key concepts for discussion.
Students should be prepared to answer ONE of the following written response prompts:
BCR #1 – One theme in The Odyssey might be the following statement: “The gods honor courage but punish pride.” In a
well-developed, detailed response discuss two examples from the text to support the above statement.
BCR #2 - Homer uses all types of irony (verbal, dramatic, and situational irony) in The Odyssey. Indentify and analyze two
ironic situations in the story and explain the impact or effects they have on the plot or the other characters. Label the two
situations you address as verbal, dramatic, or situational.
Students should review major plot points of The Odyssey and key concepts for discussion.
Students should be prepared to answer ONE of the following written response prompts:
BCR #3 – According to many authors, one principal theme of The Odyssey is not the Trojan War, but Homer's respect for
Mediterranean woman, shown by putting them into roles that were previously unheard of for women to possess. Discuss the
roles that women play in The Odyssey and show how Homer’s characterizations have influenced society’s view of women
ever since. (Some female roles to consider are Penelope, the Sirens, Calypso, Circe.)
BCR #4 –How can the experiences that Odysseus and his crew have with the Lotus Eaters be connected to the idea of setting
goals in life? Discuss what happens when individuals lose sight of their goals. Use examples from both the text and your real
world experiences.
III. Research Skills
Review proper MLA in-text citation and works cited format
When an author is present, the in-text citation is to put the author’s name in parentheses
When you are citing printed material (not internet sources), you must also cite the page number
For example, If you are citing page 17 of a book written by Steven Jones, you do this:
(Jones 17)
Note that there is NOT a comma between the author’s last name and the page number.
The period goes AFTER the parentheses.
When you cite an internet source, you need BOTH the date on which the source was published AND the date on
which you looked it up
In a works cited list, the entries are arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name or by the first word of the
citation.
You must provide a citation after EACH piece of information that is not your own idea. Whether you paraphrase
or directly quote, you MUST give credit to the source of your information.
IV. Students need to know the following list of vocabulary terms from the short story & Odyssey units,
as well as be able to answer vocabulary in context questions.
“Gift of the Magi” Vocabulary
1. Coveted
2. Chronicle
3. Inconsequential
4. Assertion
5. Cascade
6. Prudence
7. Instigate
8. Predominating
9. Vestibule
10. Agile
“The Cask” Vocabulary
1. Catacombs
2. Impunity
3. Virtuoso
4. Connoisseur
5. Precluded
6. Retribution
6. Gait
7. Fettered
8. Implore
9. Explicit
10. Afflicted
“Full Circle” Vocabulary
1. Dispel
2. Harass
3. Wary
4. Despondently
5. Sullen
6. Enigmatic
7. Egotistical
8. Inexplicable
9. Brevity
10. Skewed
The Odyssey
1. Sniveling
2. Faltered
3. Buffeted
4. Tremulous
5. Prime
6. Clotted
7. Brine
8. Abyss
9. Aloof
10. Desolation