NAME DATE Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2008 • Phone: (949) 860-2500 80 STUDY SKILLS 1 TAKING A MATCHING TEST On a matching test, you must choose an item from one list that in some way matches an item from a second list. You may be asked to connect the two items by drawing lines or by numbering one list. Remember these hints about successfully completing a matching test: • Begin by reading the list on the right. Since it usually contains the answer choices, you will be aware of all the possibilities for answers. • First, complete all matches that you know. Cross off items used on the second list as soon as they are used. This process of elimination narrows your choices. • Once you have eliminated the items you were sure of, you should be able to make a good guess on the rest. A. The column on the left lists state names. The column on the right lists well-known tourist attractions. Draw a line to match each state with a tourist attraction located there. 1. New York a. Grand Canyon 2. Arizona b. Golden Gate Bridge 3. Florida c. Statue of Liberty 4. California d. Everglades B. Write a letter to match each animal on the left with the name of its young on the right. 1. ____ bird a. cub 2. ____ dog b. kitten 3. ____ cat c. kid 4. ____ goat d. calf 5. ____ elephant e. fledgling 6. ____ lion f. fawn 7. ____ deer g. puppy C. How good were your guesses? The answers to Parts A and B are at the bottom of this page. Check your answers. If you got some answers wrong, tell how the hints failed you. If you got all the answers right, tell how—or if—the hints helped you. Write your explanations on the back of this sheet. ANSWERS TO PA RT A: (1)c (2)a (3)d (4)b PA R T B: (1) e (2) g (3) b (4) c (5) d (6) a (7) f NAME DATE Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2008 • Phone: (949) 860-2500 81 STUDY SKILLS 1 TAKING OBJECTIVE TESTS: A REVIEW Review what you have learned about objective tests. You will get more right answers if you understand the different kinds of questions. A. Write T or F to show whether each statement is true or false. 1. ____ Four common types of objective questions include true/false, multiple choice, essay, and completion. 2. ____ A completion test challenges you to match items in one column with items in a second column. 3. ____ You should read all multiple choice options before making your selection. B. Circle the letter of the best answer. 1. Which is not a good hint for preparing for tests? a. Start studying several days before a test. b. Never eat breakfast before a test. c. Make an outline to identify the main points in your notes. 2. On a completion test, the word a before a blank clues you that the answer will a. begin with a consonant. b. begin with a vowel. c. be plural. C. Complete each statement by filling in the blank. 1. On a true/false test, the words never and always are often clues that a statement is _______________. 2. The words usually and sometimes are often clues that a statement is ________________. D. Draw a line to match each kind of test on the left with a question example on the right. 1. true/false 2. multiple choice 3. completion a. __ The device used to hit a baseball is called a paddle. b. The device used to hit a baseball is called a ________. c. The device used to hit a baseball is called a a. bat b. paddle c. racket NAME DATE Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2008 • Phone: (949) 860-2500 82 STUDY SKILLS 1 THE VOCABULARY OF ESSAY TESTS An essay test allows answers that are more subjective than those on an objective test. A subjective answer focuses on your own ideas, opinions, and understanding as well as on facts. To answer an essay question, organize what you know and express it in a composition. ESSAY QUESTION EXAMPLES: 1. Compare two characters in Huckleberry Finn. 2. Describe the effects of global warming on South America’s forests. Look at the words that begin the samples above. An essay question usually starts with or includes a key word. It tells you what kind of answer the teacher expects. KEY WORD ANSWER REQUIRES YOU TO describe create a verbal picture of the topic, to give details or tell about what or how something is summarize give a brief account of main ideas without many details compare point out similarities and differences between two or more things contrast point out differences only explain make clear the cause or reason for something evaluate weigh positive and negative evidence about something and give your own opinion based on that evidence criticize give your opinion based on reasons—including good and bad points discuss give reasons for and against something A. Circle the key word that best introduces each essay question. 1. ( Describe /Discuss ) Huckleberry Finn’s personality. 2. ( Contrast /Discuss ) a law that would raise the legal driving age to 18. 3. ( Summarize /Compare ) the Declaration of Independence. 4. ( Explain /Criticize ) why heavy snowfall increases avalanche danger. 5. ( Evaluate /Compare ) the traits of a dog with those of a wolf. B. On the back of this sheet, write an essay question that could appear on a test in this class. Begin your question with a key word from the chart above. NAME DATE Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2008 • Phone: (949) 860-2500 83 STUDY SKILLS 1 THE VOCABULARY OF ESSAY TESTS: MORE PRACTICE Be certain that you understand what is being asked in an essay question. Remember to pay attention to key words and respond accordingly. For example, evaluating something is different than describing it, and comparing is different than summarizing. A. Circle the hidden words in the puzzle. They may go up, down, across, backward, or diagonally. Check off each word as you find it. ____ DESCRIBE ____ SUMMARIZE ____ COMPARE ____ CONTRAST ____ EXPLAIN ____ EVALUATE ____ CRITICIZE ____ DISCUSS B. Circle a letter to show what each question asks you to do. 1. Evaluate your school lunch program. a. Tell about both the strong points and the weak points. b. Tell about the ingredients of a typical lunch. 2. Summarize the school policy on tardiness. a. Give your opinion of it. b. Give the major points of it. 3. Contrast the climate of Nevada with that of Louisiana. a. Tell the similarities and differences. b. Tell only the differences. 4. Describe your city’s downtown area. a. Create a clear picture of it. b. Tell how it could be improved. S A N R O J E D L I C U R B R I T I E T C O M P A R E S V R D K N M O N K C A X E L L T A R O U L Z S Q U I R R T S U N C A V R O A I S A L R C F H P W S Z T O I M A N G D O T E T B C R I T I C I Z E E X P L A I N A M E VS. NAME DATE Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2008 • Phone: (949) 860-2500 84 STUDY SKILLS 1 TAKING AN ESSAY TEST Organizing your essay test answer is just like organizing paragraphs in any composition. You will need to provide main ideas and details to support them. Begin by stating the main idea of your answer. As part of this statement, you can rephrase the essay question itself. This will get you started on the right track. A. Read each essay question below. Then circle the letter of the sentence that would best begin an answer. The first one has been done for you. 1. Explain the process of creating electricity from nuclear energy. a. Nuclear energy is a clean source of electricity. b. Nuclear energy becomes electricity in three major steps. 2. Contrast the traits of a bee and a fly. a. The bee and the fly are two insects that have very different traits. b. Both bees and flies help keep our gardens flowering. 3. Describe the character of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. a. Romeo and Juliet is about two young people who fall deeply in love. b. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare gives Juliet a complex character. 4. Evaluate recent changes in the school sports program. a. In my opinion, most of the changes in the school sports program have been improvements. b. Our school sports program is much like that of other schools. B. On the back of this sheet, write a sentence that could begin an answer to each question below. Hints: Rephrase the question. Make sure you respond to key words. 1. Summarize the plot of your favorite short story. 2. Evaluate the study area that you usually use. 3. Describe the study area that you usually use. 4. Compare the traits of the common house cat with those of a tiger. NAME DATE Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2008 • Phone: (949) 860-2500 85 STUDY SKILLS 1 TAKING AN ESSAY TEST: FURTHER HINTS Remember these tips when you answer essay test questions. A. Put a check (✓ ) beside each test-taking method that you already use. Put an X by methods you are still trying to learn. 1. ____ Read all questions before you begin. If you have a choice of questions, select the one you can answer best. 2. ____ Stick to the topic. Only answer what the questions asks. Don’t try to write everything you know about the subject. 3. ____ Estimate how much time you can spend on each question. Budget your time. Check the time as you work, and stick to your budget! 4. ____ Use complete sentences in your writing. 5. ____ Make an outline to organize your answers. Jot down main ideas and important details before you begin writing. 6. ____ Emphasize your organization with words like for example, first, secondly, however, and in summary. 7. ____ Restate your major points in a conclusion or summary. B. Give some thought to this question: What is the climate like in your region, and how does it affect daily life? Fill in the blanks on the outline below. I. Climate of _____________________________ (a name for your area) A. _________________________________________________________ (detail) B. _________________________________________________________ (detail) C. _________________________________________________________ (detail) II. How the climate affects daily life A. _________________________________________________________ (detail) B. _________________________________________________________ (detail) C. _________________________________________________________ (detail) C. Use the outline in Part B to write an essay answer on the back of this sheet. Write two paragraphs, one for each outline heading. Begin the answer by rephrasing the question. Make sure each paragraph has a topic sentence. NAME DATE Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2008 • Phone: (949) 860-2500 86 STUDY SKILLS 1 REVIEWING YOUR TEST You can learn a lot from a test your teacher returns to you. By studying the mistakes you made, you can be better prepared for future exams. A. Suppose a teacher has returned the sample test below. Look it over carefully. TRUE/FALSE 1. ____ None of the ancient Egyptians believed in gods. 2. ____ All Egyptians were buried in golden, jewel-covered coffins. 3. ____ Most ancient Egyptians worked as simple farmers. MULTIPLE CHOICE 4. Pharaoh means: a. Crown Wearer. b. The Big Louse. c. The Great House. 5. The Nile is an: a. Egyptian river b. Greek king c. Mediterranean city COMPLETION 6. A _______________ is a body treated with chemicals and wrapped in cloth. 7. An _______________ system carried water to the fields of Egypt. ESSAY 8. Compare the Egyptian god Osiris with the Greek god Hades. ______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ B. Now analyze errors in the test. Circle the letter of the best answer. 1. You should have guessed the answer to 2 was false because a. it used the word all. b. gold had not yet been discovered. 2. You should have chosen item a as an answer to 5 because a. it is the first choice. b. the answer must start with a vowel. C. Write the answers to the following questions on the back of this sheet. 1. Explain why a student should have known that pyramid was an incorrect answer for question 7. 2. Explain why a teacher would give no credit for the essay answer. FTT mummy pyramid ✓✓✓ The ancient Egyptians believed in Osiris, the god of death. They expected to cross a river to the next world when they died. There they would meet Osiris. Some pictures show Osiris as a man with an elephant’s trunk. Others show him with a bull’s horns. +0 NAME DATE Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2008 • Phone: (949) 860-2500 87 STUDY SKILLS 1 THREE STEPS TO SOLVING PROBLEMS Question, dilemma, riddle, puzzle —these are all synonyms for the word problem. A problem is any situation that needs an answer or a solution. A problem can be a situation involving your friends or your job. It can be a question in your math book or in the science lab. Use three steps to problem-solving as you consider the design of an everyday object—the telephone. A. Step 1: Tell yourself exactly what the problem is. Be very specific. On the lines below, identify one problem in the design of your household telephone. Read the suggested example. Then come up with a problem of your own. EXAMPLE: A person with poor hearing might not hear it ring. YOUR TELEPHONE PROBLEM: ______________________________________________ B. Step 2: Think of a strategy you might use to solve the problem. A strategy is not the solution to the problem. It is a way to find the solution (for example: make a list, talk it over with friends, draw a diagram). EXAMPLE PROBLEM: A person with poor hearing might not hear the phone ring. EXAMPLE STRATEGY: Make a list of other senses that could alert the person to a call. YOUR TELEPHONE PROBLEM: ______________________________________________ YOUR STRATEGY: ________________________________________________________ C. Step three: Use your strategy to come up with a solution. SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE PROBLEM: Add a flashing light to visually indicate that a call is coming in. SOLUTION TO YOUR TELEPHONE PROBLEM: ___________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ If your solution works, you are finished. If it does not, try another strategy. Remember, if you want to solve a problem, you must risk being wrong a few times. Always be ready to try another idea. NAME DATE Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2008 • Phone: (949) 860-2500 88 STUDY SKILLS 1 PROBLEM-SOLVING PRACTICE Review the three steps to problem solving: 1. Identify the problem. 2. Think up possible strategies for solving the problem, and choose the one that seems best. 3. Use the strategy to reach a solution. Remember, many problems do not have one “right” way to solve them. Many questions do not have “right” answers. You may have to make some mistakes in order to succeed. In fact, the “trial and error” method is often the best one! A. Choose the problem that most interests you from the list below. Circle the number of the problem you select. 1. You own a variety store. One day you find a huge box of hula hoops in the basement. You haven’t sold a hula hoop in a long time. What can you do with this supply of hoops so they won’t be a total loss? 2. It is Friday. Your teacher announces a math test on Tuesday. The boss at your part-time job asks you to work late on Monday night. You need the time to study, but you know that your boss really counts on you to work. How can you meet your responsibilities to your boss and to your studies? 3. You have won three tickets to a concert. You have three equally good friends who are all music fans. You only have enough tickets to take two of them to the show. Which two friends will you invite? 4. You have to draw the diagram at the bottom of this page without lifting your pencil from the page or retracing a line. It can be done, but how will you do it? B. On the back of the sheet, describe at least one strategy you could use to solve the problem you chose in Part A. (Don’t actually solve the problem now. You’ll get a chance to do that in the next section.) C. What is your solution to the problem you selected in Part A? Describe the solution on the back of this sheet. NAME DATE Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2008 • Phone: (949) 860-2500 89 STUDY SKILLS 1 LEARNING FROM GRAPHICS: THE DIAGRAM Sometimes you will find information visually presented in a graphic or chart. A diagram is one commonly used type of graphic. A diagram provides a picture to make details easier to understand. A. The diagram to the right shows which parts of the brain control the things a person does. Use information from the diagram to answer the questions below. 1. What part of your brain controls body movements? ___________________________ 2. What four other body functions are controlled by this part of the brain? _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ 3. Name two more parts of the brain. _________________________________ _________________________________ B. Read the paragraph below. Then draw a diagram that makes the details clear. Draw your diagram on the back of this sheet. Scientists know that Earth, from its surface to its center, is made up of layers of rock. The top layer, called the crust, is the thinnest layer. It is solid rock. The middle layer is the mantle. The mantle is made up of very hot rock. In fact, some of the mantle is partly melted. The deepest layer, the core, is at the very center of Earth. No one has been able to dig to Earth’s core. But scientists think it is made up of hot, heavy rocks and minerals. CEREBRUM MEDULLA CEREBELLUM reading body movements speechthinking memory