Diploma Exam Preparation-Literary Exploration

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Reading Strategies

Remember that you will be given a text to read (such as the excerpt you just read by Michael J. Fox from Always Looking Up) to help you think about the topic.

In addition to the required paragraphs in your essay in which you relate the topic to a text you’ve studied in the course, you have a choice about whether to use the text excerpt provided on the exam.

Just remember, you MUST refer to a text you have studied in the course in your response.

Re-read the text excerpt you’ve been given.

Re-read the text excerpt you’ve been given.

Consider how the character in the excerpt compares to the character(s) from the course that you have chosen to write about. Highlight the phrases in the text that relate to the topic. Write notes in the margin as you read.

If you do not understand the text excerpt provided in the exam, use your dictionary to look up difficult words. If you still struggle, do not refer to the exam excerpt in your response.

Refer to literature you have studied in the course.
Relate personally to the topic. What experience (your own or someone else’s) can you think of that influenced your opinion about the topic?
Pay close attention to footnotes or biographical information provided about the author and context of the excerpt.