AP English Language & Composition w/ CD-ROM (Advanced Placement (AP) Test Preparation) - Softcover

Bureau, Susan; Kiggins, Stacey A.; Nesselrode, Katherine A.; McGauley, Kristi R.; Advanced Placement

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0738609013 ISBN 13: 9780738609010

Publisher: Research & Education Association, 2011

Synopsis

Are You Serious About Scoring a 5 on Your Advanced Placement* Exam?
Then You Need REA’s Test Prep for the AP* English Language & Composition Exam - with TestWare CD

REA’s test prep for the AP* English Language & Composition exam gives you everything you need to score a 5! This eighth edition of our popular AP* test prep is completely up-to-date and aligned with the most recent Advanced Placement* English Language & Composition exam.

Written by Advanced Placement* English Language teachers and test experts, our AP* English Language & Composition test prep includes an expanded review of all must-know exam topics, including critical reading and writing, literature commentaries, and more.

Each chapter contains numerous examples, practice questions, and test-taking tips that help you study smarter and boost your AP* score. As an added bonus, a glossary of literary and rhetorical terms is included for additional reference.

Three full-length practice exams are featured both in the book and on CD. Our timed TestWare exams offer automatic scoring and on-screen detailed explanations of answers. The practice tests are composed of every type of question that can be expected on the actual AP* English Language & Composition exam, so you can target your strengths and weaknesses before the test.

REA has helped more than a million students succeed on their AP* exams. Teachers across the country consider our AP* titles to be invaluable resources and consistently recommend our books to their students.

About this title

About the Author

Susan Bureau is the English Department Head at Alvirne High School in Hudson, New Hampshire where she has taught AP* English Language and Composition for the past nine years. She has a B.A. in English from The University of New Hampshire.

Stacey A. Kiggins received her B.A. degree in Secondary English Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her M.A. degree in Initiatives in Educational Transformation, from George Mason University, Virginia. She is the English department chair at Thomas A. Edison High School in Alexandria, Virginia. She has taught a variety of English disciplines, including: Advanced Placement* Language and Composition, International Baccalaureate English, and Speech and Debate. Ms. Kiggins is the coach of a nationally recognized speech and debate team, and was the 2010 Virginia Association of Communications Arts and Sciences Speech Teacher of the Year.

Kristi McGauley is currently in her thirteenth year of teaching English. She joined Mandarin High School in November of 2005. Before arriving at MHS, she taught for seven years in a private school. Ms. McGauley graduated with a B.A. in English from Clearwater Christian College and earned her M.Ed. in Secondary English Education at the University of North Florida. She is chair of the school’s literacy team.

Katherine A. Nesselrode graduated from the University of Tampa with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She was Nationally Board Certified in 2008. She has been teaching English for twenty-two years, currently at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Florida. She has taught high school English for 17 years and taught middle school English for the first five years of her teaching career. Each year, she tries to challenge her students in a different and hopefully more interesting manner. Her ultimate plan is get her students to grow as thinkers and as writers and especially as readers.

From the Back Cover

ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING A 5 ON THE AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION EXAM?

Get fully prepared with the AP English Language & Composition test prep AP teachers recommend.

The Most Complete AP English Language & Composition Subject Review:
Everything you need to know for the Advanced Placement English Language & Composition exam, selected and presented by seasoned high school and college faculty with extensive AP English Language & Composition experience.

The Best AP English Language & Composition Practice Exams Available:
3 full-length AP English Language & Composition practice tests based on official AP English Language & Composition exam questions released by the College Board – balanced to include every AP English Language & Composition topic and type of AP question you can expect on the actual AP exam.

Total Explanations of AP English Language & Composition Exam Questions & Answers:
Each AP English Language & Composition practice test comes with detailed feedback on every question. We don’t just say which answers are right – but why the others are wrong, so you’ll be prepared for the AP English Language & Composition exam!

Proven Test Prep Methods:
REA’s focused AP English Language & Composition content and practical advice has helped millions of AP students score higher. With our step-by-step plan, you can earn a 5 on the AP English Language & Composition exam and get the credit you deserve!

Recommended by AP English Language & Composition Teachers:
For years, AP English Language & Composition teachers have relied on REA for effective, authoritative Advanced Placement study guides. Our authors include nationally known AP experts who have personally coached generations of successful Advanced Placement students. In our AP English Language & Composition test prep, we’ve combined the insights of high school teachers and college faculty into one powerful volume.

Get the World’s Most Advanced AP English Language & Composition Software:
REA’s AP English Language & Composition TestWare combines a realistic AP test environment with the most powerful scoring analysis and diagnostic tools available. With every AP English Language & Composition practice test you take, you’ll gain knowledge and confidence for the real AP exam. Automatic scoring and instant reports help you zero in on the topics and types of AP English Language & Composition questions that give you trouble now, so you’ll succeed on the AP English Language & Composition exam!

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction
About This Book and TestWare®

This test-preparation guide, along with the accompanying CD, will help you do
well on the AP English Language & Composition Exam. You will become familiar
with the requirements of the examination and be given a chance to prove your mastery
of the AP exam on a series of specially developed practice exams. The introductory
sections of the book are devoted to explaining the test, reviewing and expanding
your critical reading skills, and helping you learn how to approach writing essays and
answering multiple-choice questions in the very ways the AP examination will expect
you to be able to do successfully.

This book provides three full-length practice exams with thorough explanations of
every answer to help pinpoint your problem areas. By taking these practice exams and
devoting time to going through our targeted subject review, you’ll be well prepared to
succeed on the AP English Language & Composition Exam. In addition, this book
includes a glossary of key literary terms, all fully defined.

Two of the practice exams are also included on the enclosed TestWare® CD. The
software provides timed conditions and instantaneous, accurate scoring, which makes
it all the easier to establish your strengths and weaknesses.

How to Contact the AP Program
To obtain a registration bulletin or to learn more about the Advanced Placement
Examinations, contact:
The College Board Advanced Placement Program
P.O. Box 6671
Princeton, NJ 08541-6671
Phone: (609) 771-7300
Website: www.apcentral.collegeboard.com
E-mail: apexams@info.collegeboard.org
 

 

Chapter 1
About the AP English Language Exam
The AP English Language and Composition Examination is divided into two
parts: Section 1, multiple-choice, or critical-reading, questions (45 percent of your
score) and Section 2, the free-response, or essay, questions (55 percent of your score).
The multiple-choice section has approximately 54 to 60 questions divided among
four to six reading passages (the exact number varies from year to year), and there
will be from nine to fifteen questions per reading passage. You are allowed 60 minutes
for the objective portion. Although the test is geared so that most good students can
finish within the time limits, the time constraints are also challenging. It is essential
that you do some timed practice. Note two recent changes to the multiple-choice
section of the exam:

• Change in Content: From 2007 onward, some items in the multiple-choice
section refer to documentation and citation of sources. While examinees
need not memorize any particular style (e.g., MLA, Chicago, APA, etc.),
they will need to use information from citations that may indeed follow a
given style. Some passages—“at least one,” says the College Board—will be
from a published work (book, journal, periodical, etc.) that incorporates
footnotes or a bibliography; the documentation questions will be based on
such passages.

• Change in Scoring: The method of scoring the multiple-choice section has
changed. Beginning in 2011, the score on the multiple-choice section will be
based only on the number of questions the student answers correctly. Points
will no longer be deducted for incorrect answers, and, as always, no points
will be awarded for unanswered questions. It is in your best interest to answer
all multiple-choice questions.

The free-response section of the AP English Language and Composition exam
is composed of three prompts, for which you are given 135 minutes in total to complete.
Currently there are three types of free-response questions on the AP exam with
some subset variations within these categories. These include the Synthesis Essay, the
Rhetorical Analysis or Language Analysis Essay, and the Argument Essay.

 

• New Directions for the Synthesis Essay: Beginning with the May 2011
exams there will be new directions for the synthesis essay. The synthesis essay
itself has not changed, but the new directions provide students with clearer
and more concise guidelines for approaching the essay; the new directions
clarify expectations about how students should synthesize, incorporate and
cite the sources provided in the task.
 

 

AP Scoring and Grade Distribution
The distribution of scores on the Advanced Placement tests ranges from 1 to 5.
A test score of 3 is considered “passing”; however, keep in mind that colleges treat the
scores differently. Some may accept a score of 2, while others will only accept a 4 or 5.
You should contact the colleges directly or visit their websites to receive information
about their AP score acceptance and credit policies.

You will complete the multiple-choice section of the test on a scan form, which
is graded by a computer. You will write the essays on paper. College professors and
teachers of Advanced Placement English grade the essays, using standardized procedures.
The scores are usually released around mid-July.

Materials Needed for Test Day
The only materials you need to bring on test day are writing utensils: blue or black
ink pens and two sharpened No. 2 pencils. You will not be able to use a dictionary,
thesaurus, highlighters or colored pencils on the test. The College Board will provide
you with all other materials, including paper for the essay portion of the test. However,
it is highly recommend that you wear a watch. Timing is very important if you want
to do well on this test. Although the test center will provide a clock, students find it
easier and less distracting to use a watch than to look at a clock on the wall—especially
if it is not directly in front of them.

Overview of Test Format and Content, Timing, and Annotation
It is possible to improve your score simply by being familiar with the test format
and content, knowing how to use the time allotted effectively, and using annotation
to stay focused and organized.

 

• TEST FORMAT AND CONTENT
Multiple-choice questions are designed to test your skills in analyzing the
rhetoric of prose passages. The passages included on the AP English Language
test are usually not found in your typical high school textbooks. The
College Board has designed the test so everyone will have an equal advantage.

It is a test, not based on memorization, but based on application. In
other words, the questions test how well you can apply your knowledge to
new material. For both the multiple-choice passages and the essays, you
should become acquainted with a wide variety of prose styles from many
disciplines and historical periods: pre-20th Century and 20th Century
to the present. These prose styles include essays, letters, diaries, histories,
biographies, sermons, speeches, literary works, satire, social criticism and
all forms of journalism.

Not only will this knowledge help you analyze the passages, but you will
become a better writer as well. The three essays that you will write for the
free-response section of the test are briefly defined below:

- Rhetorical Analysis or Language Analysis Essay (suggested time—
40 minutes): For this essay you will be asked to analyze the style
of a passage; analyze the effect of the passage on the reader; define
the author’s attitude toward his or her topic; describe the rhetorical
purpose of the passage; and/or identify the author’s purpose or views
and how he or she achieves that purpose or conveys those views.
The skills needed for this particular essay are similar to the skills
needed to answer the questions on the multiple-choice portion of the
AP English Language test. Frequently, this question takes the form
of two passages on the same topic but written in different styles and
with different attitudes.

 

- Argument Essay (suggested time—40 minutes): For this essay you
are asked to write about a controversial topic. The topics tend to be
broader, taking into account the variety of backgrounds students bring
to the exam. Students who demonstrate knowledge and understanding
of the world, have a diverse knowledge base, and can make connections
across disciplines—i.e. history, literature, current events, science,
economics— generally do better because they have more supports to
draw from.

 

- Synthesis Essay (reading time—15 minutes, suggested writing time—
40 minutes): For this essay you will be asked to read five to eight brief
sources on a topic of some controversy in which differing sides will be
presented. One of the resources you will have to analyze, and possibly
use, in the synthesis essay is a visual image—a photograph, chart, editorial
cartoon, graph, advertisement, etc.—found in texts published in
print and electronic media. You will have to analyze the image as text.
A 15-minute reading period is provided to accommodate the additional
required reading for this prompt. The directions for the synthesis essay
will ask you to explain a key idea or to argue a point. In other words,
you will be writing another analytical/expository essay or another
argumentative essay.

 

• ANNOTATION
Regardless of the section, multiple-choice or essay, you should begin annotating
everything you read: the directions, the passages, the questions and
answer choices in the multiple-choice section, the ...

Edition details

• Publisher: Research & Education Association
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0738609013
• ISBN 13: 9780738609010
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304