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AP English Literature Composition (REA) - The Best Test Prep for the AP Exam (Test Preps)
AP English Literature Composition The Best Test Prep for the AP Exam - REA - Test Preps Author:Pauline Beard, Robert Liftig, James S. Malek, J. Maloney, Joanne K. Miller, P. Trenouth, M. Williams Get the AP college credits you've worked so hard for... Our savvy test experts show you the way to master the test and score higher. This new and fully expanded edition examines all AP English Literature & Composition areas including in-depth coverage of prose, poetry, drama and theater. The comprehensive review covers every possible exam topic:... more » verse and meter; types of poetry; plot structure; writing essays and more. Features 6 full-length practice exams with all answers thoroughly explained.
Follow up your study with REA's test-taking strategies, powerhouse drills and study schedule that get you ready for test day.
DETAILS
- Comprehensive, up-to-date subject review of every English literature and composition area used in the AP exam
- Study schedule tailored to your needs
- Packed with proven exam tips, insights and advice
- 6 Full-Length Practice Exams. All exam answers are fully detailed with easy-to-follow, easy-to-grasp explanations.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT RESEARCH & EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
ABOUT THE BOOK
ABOUT THE TEST
ABOUT THE REVIEW SECTIONS
ABOUT THE INDEX OF LITERARY WORKS
SCORING THE EXAM
AP ENGLISH STUDY SCHEDULE
AP ENGLISH COURSE REVIEW
CHAPTER 1 - PROSE
Reading Novels
Reading Short Stories
Reading Essays
Reading Satire
CHAPTER 2 - POETRY
Verse and Meter
Figurative Language and Poetic Devices
Types of Poetry
Sample Essay and Possible Answers
Questions to Work on Alone
CHAPTER 3 - DRAMA AND THEATER
Plot Structure
Character
Reading the Play
Types of Plays
History
Modern Drama
CHAPTER 4 - WRITING AN ESSAY
Why People Write Essays
Tips on Writing Essays for the AP Exam
Elements of Interesting Writing
Organization
Topic Sentences
Elements of a Well-Organized Essay
SIX PRACTICE EXAMS
AP LITERATURE & COMPOSITION EXAM 1
Answer Sheet
Test 1
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
AP LITERATURE & COMPOSITION EXAM 2
Answer Sheet
Test 2
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
AP LITERATURE & COMPOSITION EXAM 3
Answer Sheet
Test 3
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
AP LITERATURE & COMPOSITION EXAM 4
Answer Sheet
Test 4
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
AP LITERATURE & COMPOSITION EXAM 5
Answer Sheet
Test 5
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
AP LITERATURE & COMPOSITION EXAM 6
Answer Sheet
Test 6
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
AP LITERATURE INDEX
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
About Research & Education Association
Research & Education Association (REA) is an organization of educators, scientists, and engineers specializing in various academic fields. Founded in 1959 with the purpose of disseminating the most recently developed scientific information to groups in industry, government, high schools, and universities, REA has since become a successful and highly respected publisher of study aids, test preps, handbooks, and reference works.
REA's Test Preparation series includes study guides for all academic levels in almost all disciplines. Research & Education Association publishes test preps for students who have not yet completed high school, as well as high school students preparing to enter college. Students from countries around the world seeking to attend college in the United States will find the assistance they need in REA's publications. For college students seeking advanced degrees, REA publishes test preps for many major graduate school admission examinations in a wide variety of disciplines, including engineering, law, and medicine. Students at every level, in every field, with every ambition can find what they are looking for among REA's publications.
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ABOUT THE BOOOK
This book provides an accurate and complete representation of the Advanced Placement Examination in English Literature and Composition. The six practice exams and four review sections are based on the most recently administered AP English Literature and Composition Exams. Each exam takes three hours to complete and includes every type of question that can be expected to appear on the actual exam. Following each exam is an answer key complete with detailed explanations designed to clarify the material for the student.
By studying the review sections, completing all six exams, and studying the answer explanations, students can discover their strengths and weaknesses and prepare themselves for the actual AP English Literature and Composition Examination.
ABOUT THE TEST
The Advanced Placement program is designed to allow high school students to pursue college-level studies while attending high school. The exam is usually administered to high school students who have completed a year's study in a college-level literature and composition course. The results are then used for determining course credit and/or placement level in college.
The Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition course is designed to represent college-level English studies. Students are expected to leave the course with college-level writing skills, knowledge of literary terms, and an ability to read prose and poetry critically. The course is intended for students with a strong background in literature and writing.
The exam is divided into two sections:
1. Multiple-choice: This section is composed of approximately sixty multiple-choice questions designed to measure the student's ability to understand and analyze English literature. The questions are based on two poems and two prose passages. This section tests the student's ability to understand and analyze passages of prose and poetry, rather than a knowledge of literary history. The questions vary in complexity and difficulty, and require the student to make critical judgments about the language, structure, tone, imagery, etc., of poems and prose written in English from the Renaissance to the present. The student has 60 minutes to complete this section of the exam, which counts for forty-five percent of the final grade.
2. Free-response: This section is composed of three essay questions designed to measure the student's ability to write coherent, intelligent, well-organized essays on literary topics. Two of the essays are based on given texts (one prose passage and one poem), and the third essay requires the student to discuss a general topic in relation to a selection from a given list of works. The student has 120 minutes to complete this section, which counts for fifty-five percent of the final grade.
ABOUT THE REVIEW SECTIONS
The reviews in this book are designed to further students' understanding of the test material. Each review includes techniques students can use to enhance their reading and writing abilities to earn higher scores on the exam. Each review contains several sample essays with explanations of what analytical skills and writing techniques make them successful. The reviews also discuss extensively the variety of literary genres, terms, and devices which the student will be required to know for the exam. The four review sections in this book correspond with the four topics covered on the AP exam:
Reading Prose This review covers the various forms of prose the student may encounter on the AP exam, including novels, short stories, essays, and satire. Also included is a section covering general rules and ideas about fiction and non-fiction, as well as tips on how to analyze prose passages for the test.
Reading Poetry Every type of poetry the student can encounter on the AP exam is described in detail with examples. Genre, structure, convention, and poetic form are all given ample discussion. Definitions and examples appear in this section for such terms as onomatopoeia, masculine/feminine rhyme, paradox, allusion, and many others, as well as study hints to help the student analyze poetry for the test.
Reading Drama This review gives extensive examples of the types of questions which could be asked about drama on the AP exam. Sample essays discuss various types of drama, including conflict, character, and types of plays. Classic works such as Antigone, The Glass Menagerie, and Death of a Salesman are used to illustrate the topics covered.
Writing Essays The Writing Essays review gives a comprehensive overview of the skills needed to write clear, coherent, and intelligent essays which meet the standards of the AP graders. Sections on form, structure, and punctuation guide the student and instruct him on how to write the best essay for the AP. Also included are tips for writing outlines for better essay organization. A sample topic and essay show the tools discussed in use.
ABOUT THE INDEX OF LITERARY WORKS
In the back of this book you will find an extensive index which lists all of the literary works which are mentioned in this book. In addition to helping you find where specific works are located in the tests, this index also serves as a suggested reading list of many of the literary classics you should read to help familiarize yourself with all the terms and genres you will need to know. Reading these works is excellent preparation for taking the AP English Literature test.
SCORING THE EXAM
The multiple-choice section of the exam is scored by crediting each correct answer with one point and deducting one-fourth of a point for each incorrect answer. Unanswered questions receive neither a credit nor a deduction. The free response essays are graded by over 1,500 instructors and professors who gather together each June for a week of non-stop AP essay grading. Each essay booklet is read and scored by four graders. Each grader provides a score for the individual essays. This score is a number on a scale from 0 to 9, 0 being the lowest and 9 the highest. These scores are covered up so that the next grader does not see them. When the essays have been graded four times, the scores are averaged, one score for each of the three essays, so that the free response section is comprised of three scores.
The three essays are weighted equally, and the total weight of the free-response section is sixty percent of the total score. The multiple-choice section comprises forty percent of the total score. Each year the overall grades fluctuate because the grading scale depends upon the performance of students in past AP administrations. The following method of scoring and the corresponding chart will give you an approximation of your score. It does not indicate the exact score you would get on the actual AP English Examination, but rather the score you achieved on the sample tests in this book.
SCORING THE MULTIPLE-CHOICE SECTION
For the multiple-choice section, use this formula to calculate your raw score:
Raw Score = Number Correct minus (1/4 times the Number Incorrect)
Round to nearest whole number
SCORING THE FREE-RESPONSE SECTION
For the free response section, use this formula to calculate your raw score:
Raw Score = Essay 1 + Essay 2 + Essay 3
Round to nearest whole number
You may want to give your essays three different grades, such as a 5, an 8, and a 6, and then calculate your score three ways: as if you did well, average, and poorly. This will give you a safe estimate of how you will do on the actual exam. Try to be objective about grading your own essays. If possible, have a friend, teacher, or parent grade them for you. Make sure your essays follow all of the AP requirements before you assess the score.
THE COMPOSITE SCORE
To obtain your composite score, use the following method:
.984 x (multiple-choice raw score) = __________ (weighted multiple-choice score-do not round)
3.333 x (free response raw score) = ___________ (weighted free-response score-do not round)
Now, add the two weighted sections together and round to the nearest whole number. The result is your total composite score. Compare your score with this table to approximate your grade:
AP Grade Composite Score Range
5 100-150
4 86-99
3 68-85
2 46-67
1 0-45
These overall scores are interpreted as follows: 5-extremely well qualified; 4-well qualified; 3-qualified, 2-possibly qualified; and 1-no recommendation. Most colleges will grant students who earn a 3 or above either college credit or advanced placement. Check with your guidance office about specific school requirements.« less