Vampires Don't Sparkle

 Read the following passage from Twilight:

The girls were opposites.  The tall one was statuesque.  She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the kind that make every girl around her take a hit on her self-esteem just by being in the same room.  Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back.  The short girl was pixielike, thin in the extreme, with small features.  Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.

Based on the above passage, what does the suffix -esque mean?

a. sparkling
b. beautiful
c. like
d. paranormal

Scroll down for the answer.




____________________
c. is correct.  The girl is so tall and beautiful that she is statuesque, or like a statue.

Thanks, Ancestory.com!

Look at the following picture:

This is an example of:

a. pun     
b. allusion   
c. figurative language
d. situational irony







Scroll down for the answer.
















_____________________

d. is the correct answer.



Thanks to Friends of Irony for the picture.
~

A Stern Dress Code Could Fix This Problem

The following is a quote from the novel Anthem:

"For they were not white tunics, nor white togas; they were of all colors." 

Which of the following literary terms does this quote represent?

A) personification
B) imagery
C) idiom
D) onomatopoeia








Scroll down for the answer.

________________________________________

The correct answer is B. imagery


Thanks to Mikayla, Marisa, Natalie, and Quinten from Ms. Brooks class for this awesome question.  You know what else is all colors?  Skittles.  Taste the rainbow!

Shameless Plug: Archetypes

 Never fear, fellow Extreme Teachers!  Your daily dose of state-test reading questions is still here - just scroll down to the next post for today's question.

Before you do, however, take a moment to check out this resource on archetypes:

There is no better way to unlock poetry to students who find it too esoteric than with archetypes.  These symbols worm their way into poems, novels, movies, songs, video games - you name it.  They are easy to grasp and open up potential meaning all around.  I have used the presentation in this lesson for regular level all the way to AP level with great success.  

It also comes with a lesson using a Keats poem if you wish to expand on it.

It is, by far, the most valuable lesson I have had in my 31 years of teaching.

Check it out!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/XET-Archetypes-11213013

The Incredible Journey

 Watch this ad that was pulled from the Superbowl 2015:

What literary term is driving the humor and impact of this ad?

a. paradox
b. metaphor
c. situational irony
d. archetype






Scroll down for the answer.







________________________________________
c. is the correct answer.  Situational irony is when the unexpected happens.  Since we expect this be a heart warming feel good ad the sudden twist at the end leaves it memorable.  The other thing driving this ad is allusion since it is playing off of a similar ad that played the year before for a different company.

I'm So Ready for Summer

Ray Bradbury's short story, "All Summer in a Day" takes place on Venus.  When it was written, nobody knew what the surface of Venus was like, so Bradbury guessed that it was rainy.  Read this excerpt:

"Margot stood apart from them, from these children who could never remember a time when there wasn't rain and rain and rain.  They were all nine years old, and if there had been a day, seven years ago, when the sun came out for an hour and showed its face to the stunned world, they could not recall."

What is the reason for the repetition of the word rain in this passage?

a. to emphasis and draw attention to the fact that it always rains on Venus.
b. for the rhyme and meter of the line.
c. for the alliterarion value.
d. it is part of the verbal irony of the passage.






Scroll down for the answers.





________________________

a. is correct.  By repeating words the author makes you take notice of it.
b. is incorrect.  Look for rhyme and meter in poetry, not prose.
c. is incorrect
d. is incorrect


~

Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?

Read the following passage:

I was going to look for my missing watch, but I could never find the time.

This is an example of:

a. allusion

b. alliteration

c. pun

d. irony

Scroll down for the answer.

_______________________

c. is the correct answer.

~