ACP English I Midterm Exam Study Guide

ACP English I (Mr. Nelson) Midterm Exam 2025-26 Study Guide

Exam Structure

  • The exam consists of:

    • 60 multiple-choice questions

    • 1 essay

  • Total points for the exam = 105 points

Vocabulary Units 1-3: Chapter Breakdown

  • Chapter 1 Vocabulary:

    • circumspect: cautious and prudent

    • affable: friendly and easy to talk to

    • abstain: to refrain from an action

    • elucidate: to make something clear

  • Chapter 2 Vocabulary:

    • dictum: an authoritative statement

    • confound: to confuse or mix up

    • improvise: to create spontaneously

    • edict: an official order or proclamation

  • Chapter 3 Vocabulary:

    • deplete: to use up resources

    • invidious: likely to arouse resentment in others

    • enunciate: to articulate clearly

    • infuse: to fill or permeate

    • lucid: clear and easy to understand

  • Additional Vocabulary Terms:

    • indict: to formally accuse

    • inhibit: to restrain or prevent

    • phosphorescent: emitting light without heat

    • infantile: childish or immature

    • implement: to carry out or execute

    • photogenic: attractive in photographs

    • invoke: to call upon for support

    • prohibit: to forbid by law

    • phototropic: growing or moving towards light

    • ineffable: too great to be expressed in words

    • replete: filled or well-supplied

    • providential: occurring at a favorable time

    • renounce: to formally declare one's abandonment of

    • retinue: a group of advisers or attendants

    • prospect: the possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring

    • revoke: to take back or withdraw

    • suffuse: to gradually spread through or over

    • specter: a ghost or phantom

    • pronouncement: a formal announcement or declaration

    • sustain: to support or maintain

    • translucent: allowing light to pass through but not detailed shapes

    • provocative: causing strong feelings or reactions

    • tenacious: holding firmly to something

Vocabulary Assessment

  • The vocabulary testing consists of:

    • 15 questions including fill-in-the-blank and synonyms.

  • Where to find the vocabulary material:

    • Vocabulary Book (Chapters 1 - 3)

    • Super Blooket (link provided)

Example Questions on Vocabulary

  • Example 1: Your cheerful __ makes the day seem less gloomy.

    • a. specter

    • b. aptitude

    • c. relative

    • d. disposition

  • Example 2: Please elucidate the information, as it was confusing.

    • a. hint

    • b. clarify

    • c. add

    • d. bring

Section Two: Literary Terms and Literature

Tone and Mood

  • Definitions:

    • Tone: The writer’s attitude towards the subject.

    • Mood: The feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader.

Elements of Fiction Guided Notes

  • Characterization:

    • Direct Characterization: Author directly describes characters.

    • Indirect Characterization: Readers learn about characters through actions, words, and reactions.

  • Plot Structure: Plot Diagram:

    • Exposition: Introduction of characters and setting.

    • Rising Action: Series of events that create suspense.

    • Climax: The turning point, most intense moment.

    • Falling Action: Events following the climax leading towards resolution.

    • Resolution: Conclusion of the story, conflicts resolved.

  • The Hero's Journey: Key Points

    • Stages of a hero's journey include:

    • The Call to Adventure

    • Meeting with the Mentor

    • Crossing the Threshold

    • Trials and Triumphs

    • The Return Home

  • Literary Elements:

    • Dialogue, foreshadowing, irony (dramatic and situational).

    • Understanding and applying these terms during the exam, particularly in relation to passages we have read.

Example Passage Analysis

Excerpt from “The thousand injuries of Fortunato”:

  • Analysis of character’s inner thoughts regarding revenge and the idea of punishment without risk.

  • Sample Questions Based on Passage:

    • Question 1: Which theme does the character’s thoughts support?

    • a. the importance of honesty

    • b. the danger of a single passion taking over the mind

    • c. the indifference of nature to human suffering

    • d. the cowardly nature of those who forgive an enemy

    • Question 2: What kind of mood does the passage create?

    • a. lighthearted

    • b. sad

    • c. suspenseful

    • d. sentimental

    • Question 3: What effect does the contrast in knowledge between the narrator and Fortunato create?

    • a. flashback

    • b. dramatic irony

    • c. falling action

    • d. comic relief

    • Question 4: What is the point of view of the excerpt?

    • a. 1st person

    • b. 2nd person

    • c. 3rd person limited

    • d. 3rd person omniscient

  • Total of 25 questions that include multiple choice and short answer, including filling out a plot diagram.

Section Three: Grammar

Parts of a Sentence

  • Key components of sentence structure:

    • Verbs: Types include Action, Linking, Helping

    • Nouns: Types include Common, Proper, Collective, Abstract, Concrete

    • Subjects and Predicates:

    • Simple Subject: The main noun or pronoun

    • Complete Subject: Simple subject plus its modifiers

    • Simple Predicate: The verb phrase (action or linking verb)

    • Complete Predicate: The verb plus all its modifiers

Example Questions on Grammar

  • Example 1: Identify the form of the underlined word in the sentence: John had been good this year, so he received a nice gift.

    • a. action verb

    • b. compound noun

    • c. linking verb

    • d. helping verb

  • Example 2: Please underline the verb phrase in the sentence: My dogs have been running for the last hour!

  • Example 3: The complete predicate includes…

    • a. action verb

    • b. compound noun

    • c. linking verb

    • d. helping verb