NB G7 PIF Reading flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Climax

The turning point of a story where tension peaks and the outcome of the main conflict begins to become clear, usually near but not at the very end.

Indirect characterization

A technique in which readers infer a character's traits from the character's words, actions, thoughts, appearance, or the reactions of other characters rather than from direct statements.

Theme

A universal message about life or human nature conveyed by a literary work, expressed as a complete sentence rather than as a single topic word.

Third-person limited

A point of view in which the narrator uses he, she, or they and reveals the thoughts of only one character, usually the protagonist, while observing others from outside.

Foreshadowing

A literary device in which the author plants hints or clues early in a text that prepare readers for events that occur later in the story.

Mood versus tone

Mood is the emotional atmosphere the text creates in the reader, while tone is the author's or narrator's attitude toward the subject or characters.

Personification

A figure of speech that gives human qualities or abilities to nonhuman things, such as objects, animals, or natural forces, as in a wind that whispers.

Central idea

The main point that a whole informational text develops and supports; it is broader than any single detail and is often stated in the introduction or conclusion.

Objective summary

A brief restatement of a text's main ideas and key supporting details written in neutral language, without personal opinions, judgments, or minor examples.

Text evidence

A quotation or accurate paraphrase taken from a passage that supports a claim, which must then be explained to show how it proves the point.

Inference

A logical conclusion drawn by combining information stated in the text with the reader's prior knowledge; the conclusion itself is not stated directly.

Claim and reasons

In an argument, the claim is the position the author takes, and reasons are the statements that justify it, each ideally backed by relevant evidence.

Author's purpose

The reason an author writes a text, commonly to inform, explain, persuade, or entertain; purpose influences which details are included or omitted.

Supporting detail

A specific fact, example, statistic, or explanation that develops, illustrates, or proves a text's central idea rather than merely repeating it.

Context clues

Words or phrases surrounding an unfamiliar word that hint at its meaning, including definition, example, synonym, antonym, and general-sense clues.

Prefix

A word part attached to the beginning of a base word that changes its meaning, such as un- meaning not or re- meaning again.

Suffix

A word part attached to the end of a base word that changes its meaning or part of speech, such as -tion forming nouns or -able forming adjectives.

Greek and Latin roots

Meaningful word parts shared across many English words, such as bio for life, graph for write, port for carry, and spect for look.

Denotation and connotation

Denotation is a word's literal dictionary meaning, while connotation is the emotional association it carries, which can differ among near-synonyms.

Multiple-meaning words

Words with several distinct dictionary senses; the correct sense is determined by the grammar and topic of the sentence in which the word appears.

Idiom

A common expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meanings of its individual words, such as raining cats and dogs.

Glossary versus thesaurus

A glossary is an alphabetical list inside a book that defines its specialized terms, while a thesaurus lists synonyms and antonyms without full definitions.

Chronological structure

A text organization that presents events or steps in time order, often signaled by words such as first, next, then, finally, and after.

Cause and effect

A text structure that explains why something happened and what resulted, often signaled by words such as because, therefore, since, and as a result.

Compare and contrast

A text structure that examines similarities and differences between two or more subjects, signaled by words such as both, unlike, similarly, and in contrast.

Problem and solution

A text structure that presents a difficulty and then describes one or more ways it is or could be addressed, often with proposals and their outcomes.

Transition words

Words or phrases that show how ideas connect, such as however, therefore, and for example; they clarify relationships and can change a sentence's logic if removed.

Text features

Elements such as headings, captions, bold print, diagrams, and sidebars that organize information and guide the reader's attention beyond the main body text.

Primary versus secondary source

A primary source is a firsthand account from the time of an event, while a secondary source interprets, analyzes, or summarizes primary material later.

Corroboration

The process of checking whether two or more sources agree on a fact or claim, which strengthens confidence when they confirm each other.

Source credibility

The trustworthiness of a source, judged by the author's expertise, the publication's purpose, the date, and whether claims cite supporting evidence.

Synthesis across texts

Combining ideas and evidence from several texts to form a new, coherent understanding or claim that no single text states on its own.

Multimedia comparison

Evaluating how a text and its film, audio, or visual version differ in emphasis, added details, or omitted content, and judging the effect of each medium.