ACCUPLACER ESL Reading flashcards
ACCUPLACER ESL Reading · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Main idea
- The central claim that the entire passage supports; it is broader than any single detail and is often restated in the first or final sentence.
- Supporting detail
- A specific fact, example, or reason that explains or proves the passage's main idea, answering who, what, when, where, or why.
- Valid inference
- A conclusion that must follow from the stated evidence; if the conclusion could be denied without contradicting the passage, it is not valid.
- Implied meaning
- Information the author suggests without stating directly, signaled by word choice, tone, or details the reader must connect.
- Contrast signal words
- Words such as but, however, although, yet, and rather that mark a shift and usually point to the author's main emphasis.
- Cause and effect markers
- Connectors like because, since, therefore, and as a result that show one event produces another; direction matters and is easily reversed.
- Author's tone
- The attitude revealed through word choice, such as neutral, critical, approving, or humorous; extreme labels rarely fit informational passages.
- Distractor detail
- A true statement from the passage that does not answer the question asked, often accurate but irrelevant to the main idea or stem.
- Literal comprehension
- Understanding exactly what a sentence states by identifying its subject, verb, and object before interpreting modifiers or implied meaning.
- Sequencing markers
- Words like first, then, after, before, finally, and meanwhile that establish the order of events in a sentence or short passage.
- Pronoun reference
- The relationship between a pronoun and its antecedent; the pronoun must match the noun in number and gender and fit the sentence's logic.
- Addition connector
- Words such as moreover, furthermore, and in addition that introduce another point supporting the same idea rather than a contrast.
- Contrast connector
- Words such as however, although, and on the other hand that signal the next clause reverses or qualifies the previous idea.
- Result connector
- Words such as therefore, thus, and consequently that show the following clause is a consequence of what came before.
- Double negative
- Two negatives in one sentence, as in 'not uncommon,' which cancel to express a positive meaning: uncommon becomes common.
- Comparative statement
- A sentence using -er or more/less that establishes an ordering between two things without stating an absolute amount or value.
- Misplaced modifier
- A descriptive phrase placed next to the wrong noun, changing which person or thing the description applies to.
- Context clue
- Surrounding words that reveal an unfamiliar word's meaning through definition, example, contrast, or cause-and-effect relationships.
- Definition clue
- A context clue that restates a word's meaning directly, often introduced by or, that is, or in other words.
- Example clue
- A context clue that supplies specific instances, usually after such as, for instance, or including, to clarify a general term.
- Connotation
- The emotional or evaluative shade a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning, such as approving 'thrifty' versus critical 'stingy.'
- Denotation
- The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, independent of the positive or negative feelings it may suggest to readers.
- Prefix meaning: re-
- A prefix meaning again or back, as in rebuild, reread, and return, indicating repetition or reversal of an action.
- Prefix meaning: pre-
- A prefix meaning before, as in preview, predict, and prehistoric, indicating something that comes earlier in time.
- Suffix meaning: -tion
- A suffix that forms nouns from verbs, as in information, conclusion, and organization, naming a process or result.
- Academic verbs
- Frequent school words such as analyze, evaluate, interpret, summarize, and cite that name thinking tasks rather than concrete objects.
- Skimming
- Reading quickly through headings, first sentences, and bold terms to grasp the topic and general organization of a text.
- Scanning
- Moving the eyes quickly over text to locate one specific item, such as a date, name, price, or number, without reading every word.
- Practical text
- Everyday material such as forms, schedules, notices, and labels, read for exact data and stated requirements rather than argument.
- Conditional requirement
- Language such as must, required, only if, or no later than that states a firm rule, unlike may or suggested, which permit choice.
- Passage structure map
- A quick outline of a text's parts: introduction with thesis, body paragraphs with one point each, and a conclusion restating the thesis.
- Elimination strategy
- Removing answer choices that are too broad, too narrow, or off-topic for the passage's scope before selecting among the remaining options.