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  • FAFSA

    This is where you can find information on completing the FAFSA.

    http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/#
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  • College Foundation of North Carolina

    Go here to find out information about attending college in the great state of North Carolina. There are 16 public universities to choose from, a number of private colleges, and countless community colleges. The world of education is at your fingertips.

    http://www.cfnc.org
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  • Multiple-Choice Section of Exam

    Here are notes on the Multiple-Choice section of the AP exam, and there is also a link to follow that expresses how to tackle this section.
     

    Types of Multiple-Choice Questions

    1.       The Straightforward question:

    ·         The passage is an example of

    C. a contrast/comparison essay

    ·         The pronoun “it” refers to

    B. his gait

     

    2. The questions that refers you to specific lines and asks you to draw a conclusion or interpret.

    ·         Lines 52-57 serve to

    A.       Reinforce the author’s thesis

     

    3.       The ALL…EXCEPT question requires more time, because it demands that you consider every possibility.

    ·         The AP English Language and Composition exam is all of the following except

    A.       It is given in May of each year.

    B.       It is open to high school seniors.

    C.       It is published in the New York Times.

    D.       It is used as a qualifier for college credit.

    E.        It is a 3-hour test.

     

    4.       The question that asks you to make an inference or to abstract a concept not directly stated in the passage.

    ·         In “Letter from Birmingham City Jail,” the reader can infer that the speaker is

    E.Religious

     

    5. Here is the killer question. It even uses Roman Numerals! This question is problematic and time consuming. You can be certain that each exam will have a couple of these questions lurking within it.

    ·         In the passage, “night” refers to

    I.                     The death of the young woman

    II.                    A pun on Sir William’s title

    III.                  The end of the affair

    A.       I only

    B.       I and II

    C.       I and III

    D.       II and III

    E.        I, II, and III

    *This is the type of question to skip and come back to later if it causes you problems.

     

     

    6. The footnote question: This is the question that required you to abstract, interpret, or apply information contained in the footnotes attached to passages.

    ·         The purpose of the footnote is to

    A.       Cite a primary source

    B.       Verify the writer’s assertions

    C.       Direct the reader to other sources

    D.       Cite a secondary source

    E.        Provide the writer’s additional commentary

    TECHNIQUES:

    ·         Process of ELMINATION

    1.       Read the five choices

    2.       If no choice immediately strikes you as correct, you can

    ·         Eliminate any which are obviously wrong

    ·         Eliminate any which are obviously too narrow or too broad

    ·         Eliminate illogical choices

    ·         Eliminate answers which are synonymous

    ·         Eliminate answers which cancel each other out

    3.       If two answers are closer,

    ·         Find the one general enough to contain all aspects of the question

    ·         -OR- find the one limited enough to be the detail the question is seeking

    ü  SUBSTITION/FILL IN THE BLANK

    1.       Rephrase the question, leaving a blank where the answer should go.

    2.       Use each of the choices to fill in the blank until you find the one that is the best fit.

    ü  USING CONTEXT

    1.       Use this technique when the question directs you to specific lines, words, or phrases.

    2.       Locate the given word, phrase, or sentence and read the sentence before and after the section of the text to which the question refers. Often this provides the information or clues you need to make your choice.

    ü  ANTICIPATION

    -As you read the passage for the first time, mark any details and ideas that you would ask a question about. You may second-guess the test makers this way.

    ü  INTUTION/THE EDUCATED GUESS

    -You have a wealth of skills and knowledge in your language and composition subconscious. A question or a choice may trigger a “remembrance of things past.” This can be the basis for your educated guess. Have the confidence to use the educated guess as a valid technique. Trust your resources/instinct.

     

    NOTES

    -The MC questions are based on form and content. Naturally, the test makers are assessing your understanding of the meaning of the selection as well as your ability to draw inferences and perceive implication based on the given work.

    -They also want to know if you understand HOW an author develops his or her ideas.

    -The questions, therefore, will be factual, technical, analytical, and inferential.

    http://www.education.com/study-help/article/ap-english-language-multiple-choice-questions/
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  • Rhetorical Devices

    Here are the devices with examples that AP English Language said they had the hardest time with.
    ***There is also a link that has examples and definitions for all.*** TAKE A LOOK!
    1.               Asyntedon_ He had loved her for so long that he dreamed, obsessed, raved, swore, vowed, fantasized about the day that she would come back to him.

    2.       Paradox "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others"

    3.       Antithesis "The more acute the experience, the less articulate its expression."

    4.       Polysyntedon I would rather have my mind trifled and ragged and torn apart and beaten and thrashed by literature than to experience nothing.

    5.       Allusion “I thought the software would be useful, but it was a Trojan Horse.”

    6.       Irony In Macbeth by William Shakespeare Macbeth appears to be loyal to Duncan but he is planning Duncan's murder. Duncan doesn't know Macbeth's plans but the audience knows what is going to happen.

    7.       Parallelism My face is washed, my hair is combed, and my teeth are brushed.

    8.       Anaphora "I want her to live. I want her to breathe. I want her to aerobicize." –OR- "Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in public and private life, have been the consequences of action without thought."

    9.       Hyperbole  If I can’t buy that new game, I will die.

    10.   Litotes  "I'm not doing this for my health."

     

    http://facstaff.bloomu.edu/jtomlins/rhetorical_devices.htm
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  • Soldier's Home by Earnest Hemingway

    Please read this online handout on Soldier's Home for homework.

    http://mrsrichards.com/handouts/Juniors/soldier.pdf
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  • AP Spring Vocab.

    AP English Language Spring Vocab. List #1

    1.       Anaphora: The repetition of a group of words at the beginning of successive clauses.

    2.       Ameliorate: to make or become better; more bearable, or more satisfactory

    3.       Antiquated: continued from, resembling, or adhering to the past; no longer used; obsolete

    4.       Antithesis: the direct opposite

    5.       Buttress: to give encouragement or support to

    6.       Canon: One of the traditional elements of rhetorical composition -- invention, arrangement, style, memory, or delivery.

    7.       Clandestine: characterized by, done in, or executed with secrecy or concealment, especially for purposes of subversion or deception; private or surreptitious

    8.       Diminutive: pertaining to or denoting smallness, familiarity, affection, or triviality

    9.       Fallacy: a deceptive, misleading, or false notion, belief

    10.   Fallibility: liable to be erroneous or false; not accurate

    11.   Gaffe: a social blunder; faux pas.

    12.   Ineffable: incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible ;not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable

    13.   Litany: a prolonged or tedious account; a ceremonial or liturgical form of prayer

    14.   Litotes: understatement, especially that in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary, as in “not bad at all.”

    15.   Macabre: gruesome and horrifying; ghastly; horrible;  of, pertaining to, dealing with, or representing death, especially its grimmer or uglier aspect

    16.   Metonymy: (Rhetoric )a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as “the bottle” for “strong drink.”

    17.   Nuance: a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response, etc.

    18.   Obdurate: unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding.

    19.   Oblique: indirectly stated or expressed; not straightforward

    20.   Ostentatious: characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others

    21.   Paradox: an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.

    22.   Pejorative: having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force

    23.   Piety: dutiful respect; reverence for God; veneration; awe; the quality or state of being pious

    24.   Poignant: keen or strong in mental appeal: a subject of poignant interest; affecting or moving the emotions: a poignant scene; pungent to the smell

    25.   Rhetoric: the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech; the study of the effective use of language.

    26.   Salacious: lustful or lecherous; (of writings, pictures, etc.) obscene; grossly indecent.

    27.   Surreptitious: obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine

    28.   Syllogism: an extremely subtle, sophisticated, or deceptive argument.

    29.   Ubiquitous: existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent

    30.   Vitriolic: something highly caustic or severe in effect, as criticism.

    http://www.dictionary.com
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  • AP Christmas Homework

    AP English Language & Composition

    Christmas Break Homework

    Due: Wednesday, January 2nd

    Part I:

    Directions: First, go purchase John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men at Bookland in the Statesville Mall. The novel only costs $8.00.

    Next, complete SIFT that is laid out for you below. SIFT is an AP strategy used to analyze fictional texts by examining stylistic elements.  You must use textual evidence from the novel to complete your answer. Please also include page numbers.

    S (symbols)

     

     

    I (Images)

     

     

    F (Figures of Speech)

     

     

     

    T (Tone and Theme)

     

     

    Part II: Complete the Reporter portion of a literary circle for the novel.

    -Write a summary that describes how the author develops the setting, plot, and characters. Explain how the central characters interact, major events that occur, and shifts in the setting or the mood that are significant.

     
     
    ***If you want to go ahead and get your mind set on your upcoming exam, the link has information on the AP English Language & Composition test from Wikipedia. This information has been validated by the College Board.**

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AP_Language_and_Composition
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  • Typography of The Bells

    Click this link for your homework for Novemeber 19th. This is the typography that will help you to see the mood and symbolism of each stanza. We will create pictures to go along with this tomorrow.

    http://vimeo.com/4332588
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  • Poe Prezi

    AP students, please visit the Edgar Allan Poe prezi to take notes off of. Practice deciphering which details are the most important for your knowledge of Poe as a Dark Romantic author.

    http://prezi.com/maljlu831lrn/present/?auth_key=5gdfscv&follow=sje469ihmeuq
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  • Jeopardy Study Guide for Poe/Dark Romantic Quiz

    Use this link to quiz yourself on information that will be on the Dark Romantic quiz. Make sure to write down your own answer, and then see the correct answer, so you can actually use it as a study guide.

    https://jeopardylabs.com/play/english-iii-baker-edgar-allan-poe
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  • Study Guide for Crucible Test

    Go here to study for your Crucible test that will be given on Friday, November 9th in first and third block. Make sure to write down your anwers to the questions before just clicking for the answer. That will see what you already know, and then you can compare it to the correct answer.

    https://jeopardylabs.com/play/ap-english-lang-baker-the-crucible
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  • What Book Should You Read Next?

    This website generates similar to the one that you type in. It looks for similar themes, character traits in main characters, and plot lines. By using this generator you know that the next book you choose will be close to your taste in literature.

    http://whatshouldireadnext.com/index.php
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  • AP Pass

    I absolutely LOVE this link. This is a website that actually will tally up what you need to make on your multiple choice section and on each essay in the essay section in order to receive a 3, 4, or 5 on the AP Exam. We will definitely be using this in class.

    http://appass.com/calculators/englishlanguage
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  • College Prep Tips

    This blog includes tips on how to study, stay prepared, light motivation, and staying organized. Great for students trying to get a college oriented mind.

    http://www.thecollegeprepster.com/2011/01/intense-study-tips.html
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  • Academic Tips

    This website has tips to be successful in high school. It also contains ways to keep your brain sharp and information on MLA format.

    http://academictips.org/
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  • College Study Tips

    Here is a website with study tips and advice from current college students.

    http://thecollegejuice.com/category/tips-and-tricks/
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  • No Fear Shakespeare

    This is a link towards a section of Sparknotes. I am not saying that the use of Sparknotes is completely okay, but in some instances the use of modern language in place of middle or old English is immensely helpful. This is for any student that is totally stumped at home on a piece of literature written by Shakespeare. This website contains the modern translation to almost all of Shakespeare's works.

    http://nsf.sparknotes.com
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  • Prezi

    Create an innovative presentation that's free.

    http://prezi.com
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