What’s more frustrating is when I have to read English in a book with strange accents I’ve never heard before. A lot of books have different kinds of writing for the dialogue… you know, when people talk. Like different dialects. They can be so confusing. Here’s a GED practice question that shows what I mean. The passage is from “Pollyanna,” by Eleanor Hodgeman Porter.

“For the land’s sake, Miss Pollyanna, what a scare you did give me,” panted Nancy, hurrying up to the big rock, down which Pollyanna had just regretfully slid.

“Scare? Oh, I’m so sorry; but you mustn’t, really, ever get scared about me, Nancy. Father and the Ladies’ Aid used to do it, too, till they found I always came back all right.”

“But I didn’t even know you’d went,” cried Nancy, tucking the little girl’s hand under her arm and hurrying her down the hill. “I didn’t see you go, and nobody didn’t. I guess you flew right up through the roof; I do, I do.”

Pollyanna skipped gleefully.

“I did, ‘most—only I flew down instead of up. I came down the tree.”

Nancy stopped short.

“You did—what?”

“Came down the tree, outside my window.”

“My stars and stockings!” gasped Nancy, hurrying on again. “I’d like ter know what yer aunt would say ter that!”

What does this passage reveal about Pollyanna’s personality?

1) She is gloomy and pessimistic.

2) She is adventurous and carefree.

3) She is easily scared.

4) She is a mischievous troublemaker.

5) She is studious and strict.

When I first look at this passage, I immediately feel so confused. What does “For the land’s sake” mean? And what does she mean by, “Ladies’ Aid?” There are so many things they say here that I just don’t get. But I’ve figured out that you can’t get discouraged if you don’t understand everything in a passage. There are still a lot of things that I can understand, especially after I read the question.

It asks about Pollyanna’s personality. So, I look for things that answer the question, and don’t worry too much about what I don’t understand! Let’s see. In the second sentence, Pollyanna tells Nancy that “you mustn’t, really, ever get scared about me.” And later on she is skipping gleefully. Does that sound gloomy? I don’t think so. Gloomy is the opposite of gleefull!Even if I’m not sure what “gleeful” means, she’s skipping, and just doesn’t seem gloomy at all. Later it says that she just “came down the tree.” This scares Nancy! But it doesn’t scare Pollyanna, so I know #3 isn’t right. I don’t think studious and strict people would climb trees or run off without telling anyone, so #5 doesn’t sound right.

I think that #4 could be the answer. Troublemakers don’t always follow the rules (just look, it has the word “trouble” in it), and it doesn’t sound like Pollyanna is following them either. This is the one you might guess. But what does “mischievous” mean? Have you heard the word “mischief?” It’s more trouble. It’s kind of being mean and making problems. I think that Pollyanna might be causing trouble for Nancy, but she isn’t doing it to be harmful or mean. She even apologizes to Nancy when she realizes that she had scared her!

So, I think the best answer is #2. That one says “adventurous and carefree.” Pollyanna sure seems to like adventure… doing new things… and she doesn’t seem to worry, that makes her “carefree.” It’s a better answer, because Pollyanna doesn’t seem to want to cause trouble, particularly. She just seems to want to go out and have fun.

See, you can figure out the main idea of a reading, even if you can’t understand every word. Sometimes it’s important to look words up. But you don’t want to get bogged down with looking up every word! Especially if it seems likeit’s not part of the main point . Or like with the “Ladies’ Aid.” I don’t know exactly what that is, but I can guess that it is someone who most likely looked after Pollyanna, and that’s good enough for the time being. Unless, of course, the question asks specifically, “Who is the Ladies’ Aid?” Then we have some more thinking to do!

Good luck studying for the GED.

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit the GED Academy at  http://www.passGED.com

Carlo writes:

Hi Maria. I got a question. On the GED Test I had a couple of questions that I didn’t understand. Could you help me with these questions. I will type the poem and questions. Thanks.

Okay! Let’s go through the GED reading questions. Here’s the poem Carlo is asking about:

What Are the Fish At The Aquarium?

At the Aquarium

SERENE the silver fishes glide,
Stern-lipped, and pale, and wonder-eyed!
As through the aged deeps of ocean,
They glide with wan and wavy motion.
They have no pathway where they go,
They flow like water to and fro,
They watch with never-winking eyes,
They watch with staring, cold surprise,
The level people in the air,
The people peering, peering there:
Who wander also to and fro,
And know not why or where they go,
Yet have a wonder in their eyes,
Sometimes a pale and cold surprise.

Max Eastman. At The Aquarium, 1883: MODERN AMERICAN POETRY Louis Untermeyer, ed. 1919

That’s the poem. The important part, of course, is the questions… There are two questions to answer, and here’s the first one:

What feelings does the speaker attribute to the fish by calling them “wonder-eyed” (line 2)?

(1) fear of the crowds
(2) sadness at the plight
(3) interest in their surroundings
(4) anxiety about their fact service
(5) happiness with each other’s company

This one is a vocabulary question. What does “wonder-eyed” mean? It’s important to look at the context of the poem… it’s overall meaning. If you know what “wonder” is…. a feeling of amazement, kind of, like that things are WONDERful… then that will help eliminate some answers at least… “fear” isn’t wonderful, or “sadness,” or “anxiety.” That leaves two answers… “interest” or “happiness.”

So, what’s the poem say about the fishes? What’s the context? It’s at an aquarium. Can you kind of picture what an aquarium looks like? Like, the Monterey Bay Aquarium… that’s a big one. There are different ones, especially by the coast, and you go there to look at all the sea creatures, kind of like  a zoo, for fishes, sharks, octopuses… If you’ve seen one on TV or can connect it to your life, then you can picture the fish in your mind, and that can help. Well, what I’m getting out of this poem is that it’s got two parts. The first part is about the fishes swimming in the aquarium. They swim around, and they watch the people. The second part is about the people… how they look to the fishes, watching them. So, which feeling seems to fit most with what the poem’s about? Interest in their surroundings (what’s going on around them), or happiness with each other’s company? Since the poem talks about the fish watching people, but doesn’t really talk about what the fishes think about each other, I’ll have to say (3) interest in their surroundings. The fish are interested in the people that walk around outside the tank.

Here’s the next question:

Why do people appear “level… in the air” (line 9) to the fish?

(1) lying down on the beach
(2) waving frantically at the fish
(3) walking away from the water
(4) swimming around the ocean
(5) standing outside the fish tanks

Here’s where it helps to try to picture what’s happening. Say you’re a fish. You’re in, like, a big tank, looking out at the people. What do they look like? They’re not lying down on the beach, or swimming around the ocean. They might wave or walk away, but that doesn’t seem to go with what the poem’s saying. “Level” seems to mean that they’re not really moving. Think about what it says the people are doing: “peering, peering.” That means, they’re looking at the fish. So, if they’re looking at the fish, they must be standing outside the fish tanks. I’d go with (5) standing outside the fish tanks. It just makes the most sense!

I know the language of a poem can make it seem kind of difficult. Trying to picture it really helps, for me! Good luck on your GED, and let me know if you have any other GED questions.

For more information about the GED and GED test preparation, visit the GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

How do you figure out Business Documents on the GED Reading Test?

One of the parts of the GED reading test is on Workplace and Community Documents. There will probably be 2 nonfiction readings on a full-length GED reading test, and they’ll either be nonfiction prose, workplace/community documents, or critical reviews. That means, you’ll likely have 1 workplace/community document on the test.

Workplace and community documents might be the easiest to understand because they’re the type of documents everyone has to deal with in everyday life. You’ll find memos, letters, manuals, forms, voter information pamphlets, and other everyday types of written communication. If you work in an office, just think of how much written material is part of your work. You have an employee manual, documentation about how to do your job or run machines, e-mails and letters, memos and forms, and all kinds of other written materials. The ones you find on the test should be straight-forward, easy-to-read documents.

The first thing to look at is, what kind of document is it? Is it a letter? If so, who’s it from and who’s it to? Is it a memo? Again, who’s it from and who’s it to? Is it part of a manual or book or pamphlet? What’s the purpose of it? Who’s supposed to read it?

If you understand the purpose (why it’s written) and audience (who’s supposed to read it) of the document, you’ll find it a lot easier to understand and get information from.

Here’s an example of a workplace and community document:

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN AN EMERGENCY AT WORK?

Emergency Policies

A.    Emergency Warning Notifications

If an emergency or disaster in the community occurs, you may receive a warning from radio or television, government organizations such as NOAA, Internet web sites, the local or state police, or even friends or family members. In case of an emergency in the building, you may be warned by the smoke detectors, sprinkler system, an emergency siren, building security, or building management. In case of a suspected emergency, monitor several sources of information to gather as much relevant information as possible.

If you receive notification of a possible disaster or emergency situation, immediately notify your superior. If the situation requires urgent action, such as a fire, sound alarms and notify employees as quickly, calmly, and succinctly as possible. As necessary, take action to avoid further damage without risking harm to yourself or others.

B.    Sprinkler System, Smoke Detector, and Fire Alarm

In the event of a fire, the activation of the sprinkler system and/or smoke detector due to smoke and/or heat will automatically activate the fire alarm. The building management, company management, and fire department will all be notified by the alarm company. Pull-type manual alarms are located on every floor, as are fire extinguishers and fire evacuation plans. Do not use elevators in the event of a fire.

C.    Emergency Sirens

The building is equipped with emergency sirens that sound in the case of severe weather alerts and other situations that may require emergency action. Please use television, radio, or Internet to gather information if the siren sounds.

D.    Emergency Aid

First aid kits and emergency water and food are stored on each floor of the building.

The GED reading test gives you a question at the beginning of each reading, to help you think about what you’re going to read. The question gives you a clue what the reading is about. This one asks, “What should you do in an emergency at work?” So, you know it’s a document from a workplace, and you have an idea that it has to do with emergency situations. That gives you context to understand what you’re reading.

Since there are a lot of kinds of workplace and community documents, the first thing to ask is: what is this? It has a title at the top, “Emergency Policies.” Well, that just tells you again what you got from the question, this is a workplace document about emergencies. Who’s supposed to read it (audience)? Probably the people who work in an office. What’s it supposed to do (purpose)? It’s supposed to tell you what to do in an emergency.

The document explains information about emergencies and disasters. You might have similar documents at your work. If you can relate what you’re reading to something you’re familiar with, it will be easier to read and understand. Have you ever had your home smoke detector go off? Were you ever in an earthquake or tornado? And where did you get your information then? Workplace documents can often be related to your real life.

It’s important to see that the document is organized. It’s broken up into sections, and that will help you find information to answer questions quicker. Sometimes reading less is better. Instead of getting bogged down in trying to read through the whole document, skim the document quickly to get an idea what it’s about and then read the first question. It’ll tell you which section of the document to take a closer look at.

One thing about the workplace or office: it has its own vocabulary. Workplace and business vocabulary has words like “policy” “estimate” “invoice” “wage” or “employee,” things that affect businesses but not a lot else. So, brushing up on some business words can help. Here are some links to help you build your workplace and business vocabulary:

Workplace Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle

Workplace Vocabulary Quia Quiz

BBC Skillwise Workplace Vocabulary

Business English Vocabulary

Let me know if you need more information!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

]]> http://www.passged.com/student_blogs/maria/2008/12/03/ged-reading-business-documents/feed/ 1 http://www.passged.com/student_blogs/maria/2008/06/02/ged-reading-practice-question-8-restating-and-vocabulary/ http://www.passged.com/student_blogs/maria/2008/06/02/ged-reading-practice-question-8-restating-and-vocabulary/#comments Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:42:53 +0000 Maria http://www.passged.com/student_blogs/maria/2008/06/02/ged-reading-practice-question-8-restating-and-vocabulary/ I’ve got another GED reading practice question from the Study Guide Zone, along with how I thought through the answer…because I think what really helps get you ready for your GED is understanding how to think through the answers to GED questions. 

This question asks if you understand a specific part of the reading. Here’s the part of the reading it’s talking about…if this was on the GED test, I’d find the part of the reading by skimming and scanning to find the quote the question mentions.

The issuing of the Declaration of Independence had effects both on the Revolutionary War and on world history at large. As far as its immediate effects, it changed the war in America from a war for liberty to a war for independence, by rhetorically emancipating America from Britain.

8. How did the Declaration of Independence change the war in America from a ‘war for liberty to a war for independence’?
A: It declared that England was dependent on the United States.
B: It suggested that America was a sovereign nation entitled to independence.
C: It abandoned the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
D: It started a new war against a new adversary.

This is what they call a comprehension question…do you understand what the text is saying? Can you recognize the same thing said in different words? That’s something called “restating.” Restating is actually a good thing to do when you read, to understand better. If you can restate something in your own words, then you really can understand it. So, exactly what words do I want to restate for this question?

The question asks how the Declaration of Independence changed the war from a war for liberty to a war for independence. Well, I know where the answer is in the reading. It says that it did that “by rhetorically emancipating America from Britain.” So I just need the answer that says the same thing as those six words.

Unfortunately I don’t know two of those words at all.  “Rhetorically?” “Emancipating?” Am I supposed to know these? Well, it helps if I do. But you can’t learn all the vocabulary in the world, so if you run across something like this on the test, what are you going to do?

One thing you can do is to read more of the text and see if you can get what it means by what else it’s saying. What do you know about the Declaration of Independence? How could something change the war from being for “liberty” to being for “independence”? What’s the difference, anyway? Well, liberty means freedom… and independence sort of means the same thing, too, doesn’t it? I’m thinking there’s a difference here, though. I think “liberty” just means having some freedom…stopping the government in England from taking advantage of people. But “independence,” I think they mean making their own government, separate from England. That seems to make sense. And it fits with what I know about the Declaration of Independence, which stated that the colonies were going to make their own government…the United States.

So, which of the answers seems to fit with that? Because if you don’t know the words you’re trying to restate, you should look for an answer that makes sense with what you know.

Answer A says the Declaration said England was dependent on the U.S. Why would it say that? That doesn’t seem to fit.

Answer B is closer. It says the Declaration “suggested that America was a sovereign nation entitled to independence.” I’m not sure about that word “sovereign,” but saying America was a nation that should have independence makes sense with what I’m thinking.

Answer C says the Declaration “abandoned the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Abandoned? That means gave up. I don’t think we gave up the ideal of liberty. That doesn’t make sense.

The last answer says the Declaration started a new war. But I don’t think that’s true. I mean, people were already fighting against England. I’m pretty sure the right answer is B. And if I look up those words, I can restate the reading to say, “By saying in words America was free from Britain.” Does that mean something similar to saying that America is “sovereign”? I think that means the same as free…independent…emancipated. B is the right answer, but this is a tough one because of the long words!

Good GED studying!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passged.com.

Here’s your GED practice question: 7. What is one irony of the Declaration of Independence?
A: It was written on parchment paper.
B: It borrowed many of its ideas from the English thinker John Locke.
C: It was composed in Philadelphia.
D: It was composed in 1775.

What’s the one most important thing that will help you understand this question? Well, you have to understand what the Declaration of Independence is, I guess. But it’s most important to know what “irony” means. The answers all give you true things about the Declaration of Independence. But you have to figure out which one is an “irony.”

Could you guess the answer without knowing what “irony” is, or without being sure? You probably can. Which thing might have some special meaning? That’s what you’d need to figure out. The Declaration of Independence was composed in 1775. Does that have some special meaning? Is it strange or unusual or important in any way? I guess it’s important because it’s right before the beginning of the U.S., but that’s just logical (it was written then BECAUSE the colonies wanted to form the United States).

What about that it was written in Philadelphia? Does that have any special meaning? The Declaration of Independence and Philadelphia? I can’t think of any, and the answer probably won’t depend on my having any special knowledge about Philadelphia.

What about that it’s on parchment paper? Is there anything special about the Declaration of Independence being written on parchment paper? I guess not. I mean, I guess a lot of things were probably written on parchment paper back then. I don’t really know anything about parchment paper! And remember, the test won’t expect you to have any special knowledge about something like that.

The only other answer is B, it took ideas from an English guy named John Locke. Does that have special meaning? I don’t know anything about this Locke guy, except what it says…that he’s English. Well, that’s sort of different, right? I mean, you wouldn’t expect ideas from an ENGLISH guy in the Declaration of Independence, which was AGAINST English rule. So, it’s like it used English ideas against England. That’s at least some kind of special connection or meaning that might be “irony.” So, if I’m not sure, I can probably guess that it’s answer B.

If you know what “irony” means, you can be pretty sure the answer is B. A lot of literary glossaries have too many words to remember, and you don’t need lots of difficult words. Here’s a glossary that’s more my speed…not too many words, not too difficult:

http://www.redcreekcsd.k12.ny.us/RKeim/Lit%20Terms.htm 

For irony, it says “unexpected idea.” Well, it is pretty unexpected that a document against England would be based on an English guy’s ideas. Nothing else on the answer choices seems unexpected at all. So, the answer is B… and you can figure it out, even if you’re not sure what the term means!

Good GED studying!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passged.com.

Here’s the vocabulary advice that helps me out…

1) Whenever you’re reading, try to find new words that you don’t know. Sometimes, I kinda skip over words when I’m reading instead of trying to figure them out, and sometimes I don’t even notice the words I don’t know! So look down the page to find words you don’t know, and keep them written down in a notebook. First, think about how the word is used and guess what it means. Then look it up, and find the definition. The more you notice the words and use them, the better your vocabulary will be.

2) Play games with words, like crossword puzzles and stuff like that. Start with ones that aren’t too hard, and then do harder ones. The more word games you play, the more you’ll remember the words.

3) Have a plan to understand new words. Your plan should include:

a) Look at the words nearby. Can you tell by the context (the other words) what the word means? Here’s a website to help you use context clues: http://www.how-to-study.com/building-vocabulary.htm

b) Look at the word itself. Is it similar to any words you know? Does it have a prefix (beginning) or suffix (ending) that gives a clue to what the word means? This website has a list of prefixes, suffixes, and roots (main part) of words: http://www.uefap.com/vocab/build/building.htm

c) Check the dictionary. This should be the last thing you do… it’s better to figure out the word than just to read it in the dictionary.

Here’s some good website links to help you learn more words, and have a bigger vocabulary for the GED:

Scroll to the bottom of this one to see some quizzes: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/vocabulary.htm

Here’s one with vocabulary games: http://vocabulary.co.il/index_main.php

This one has some exercises…click through with the arrow: http://www.studygs.net/vocabulary.htm

“A Word a Day” at http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/index.html gives you vocabulary words and also has audio so you can hear how they’re said.

More vocabulary is definitely going to help with the GED, because a lot of the test is about reading things and understanding them. So, keep working on your vocabulary for your GED! And if you have anything you want to know about for your GED, let me know with a comment… and I’ll see if I can find out about it.

To find out more about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at passGED.com.

The Silken Tent
by Robert Frost

She is as in a field a silken tent
At midday when the sunny summer breeze
Has dried the dew and all its ropes relent,
So that in guys it gently sways at ease,
And its supporting central cedar pole,
That is its pinnacle to heavenward
And signifies the sureness of the soul,
Seems to owe naught to any single cord,
But strictly held by none, is loosely bound
By countless silken ties of love and thought
To everything on earth the compass round,
And only by one’s going slightly taut
In the capriciousness of summer air
Is of the slightest bondage made aware.

Here’s the GED Practice Question:

In the last line of the poem, the word “bondage” refers to:

1) being captured and held

2) having ties to the world

3) being held on bond

4) being a slave

5) being a servant

Maybe on the GED test, you’ll read this question and say, “bondage? That means, like, being tied up… maybe ‘captured and held’ sounds right,” and you’ll pick that answer because you’ve only got so much time to take the test and you’re in a hurry to pass your GED! But the question’s not always about what the word means in general. Sometimes on the GED, they want to know what the word means in a specific story or poem. If you see a question like this on the GED test, it can be confusing because a lot of the answers sound right. So, what do you do?

The idea is, you need to look at the reading… what’s the poet really saying? A lot of the GED reading test goes back to that… what’s the writer really saying? What’s the message? The poem compares a woman to a tent, like I talked about a couple weeks ago. The part about “bondage” talks about how the silk ties that tie the tent to the ground sometimes pull tight in the wind, and that’s the only time she feels “bondage.”

That’s metaphor… she is like a tent. So what’s the “bondage” that she feels? Is she a slave or a servant? Bondage can mean that… the GED questions sometimes are confusing like that, giving you answers that could be right. But she probably doesn’t feel like a slave or servant. She’s also not captured or held on bond. The poem doesn’t say anything about those.

What about having ties to the world? The poem talks about her soul being the center pole, pointing up to heaven. What are the ropes tying the tent down? Could they tie her to the world, while her soul points up to heaven? That makes sense… more sense than her being a servant. Do you see how pointing to heaven and being tied to the earth are similar types of things the writer is talking about? There’s nothing like being a slave or those other answers anywhere in the poem.

I say answer 2 is the best answer. On the GED, if you just read the question, the other answers seem more like meanings of “bondage.” But when you’re taking the GED test, you’ve got to think of how the question relates to the poem or reading… that’s the point. Hope this helps! Good luck on your GED studying!

To find out more about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at passGED.com.

When he coughed—smoking too much goes with drinking too much and doubles the hangover—a cloud of luminous black dots swam across his vision like amoebae in pond water.

Last time I asked you how to understand “luminous” and “amoebae” and read this sentence. Pretty hard if English isn’t your first language.

So, you have to think about it. I gave you some questions that I use… first, ask: Can I understand the sentence without knowing the word? Can I get the main idea of what they’re saying?

So, I think about it. Do “luminous” and “amoebae” need to trip me up? I tried taking out the words, like this…

When he coughed—smoking too much goes with drinking too much and doubles the hangover—a cloud of some sort of black dots swam across his vision like something in pond water.

He coughed… hung over from smoking and drinking, huh? and some black dots swam in front of his eyes, like something in pond water. I can get the whole idea, even without knowing the words. I can kind of picture it in my head, si?

Then, I ask: Can I look at the words nearby to see about what the word means? Is there another word nearby that maybe means the same thing?

Well, with luminous, maybe it means cloudlike somehow? A cloud of luminous black dots… When I picture seeing dots like that, they’re kind of shimmering and unreal. Maybe that’s what it means?

The other one is easier… amoebae. It says, amoebae in pond water, and before that it says swimming. So, it’d be something that swims around in pond water and looks like little black dots? Like little fish or bugs maybe?

Finally, I think… can I think of another word that I would put in the sentence that makes sense? Luminous could be shimmering, like I said before, and amoebae could be little bugs.

When he coughed—smoking too much goes with drinking too much and doubles the hangover—a cloud of shimmering black dots swam across his vision like little bugs in pond water.

That gets me close enough to understand, right? And the more you see the words in different places, the better you can understand them. I looked it up, and luminous means like glowing, which is pretty close to shimmering. And amoebae are one-celled organisms that swim around in water. I guess that would make them like little dots, but aren’t they too small to see? I think this guy just likes using long words.

I figured out after a while that I can ask myself a list of questions to figure out a word…

1. Can I understand the sentence without knowing the word? Can I get the main idea of what they’re saying?
2. Can I look at the words nearby to see about what the word means? Is there another word nearby that maybe means the same thing?
3. Can I think of another word that I would put in the sentence that makes sense?

By using these questions, it helps me understand a lot of words that maybe would make reading hard for me. You never know where you’re going to find some hard words! You know, I saw that movie Casino Royale with James Bond. I thought, maybe those James Bond books would be good to read… they’ve got lots of action, so you can kind of see what’s going on.

So, I bought this James Bond book, Thunderball, and almost right away I wanted to put it back down. All those words… Look at this sentence:

When he coughed—smoking too much goes with drinking too much and doubles the hangover—a cloud of luminous black dots swam across his vision like amoebae in pond water.

Luminous? Amoebae? What do those words mean? What’s he talking about? But I didn’t give up. See if you can figure out those words… and I’ll check in with you next week to tell you how I did it.