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DETAILS

- Comprehensive review of every Literature topic to appear on the SAT II subject test

- Packed with proven test tips, strategies and advice to help you master the test

- 6 full-length practice SAT II Literature Subject exams. Each exam question is answered in complete detail with easy-to-follow, easy-to-grasp explanations.

- The book's Literary Index allows for quicker, smarter searches of the information you need most

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About The Book

About The Test

About The Review Section

About The Index of Literary Works

Scoring the Examination

LITERATURE 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

Chapter 3 - DRAMA AND THEATER

Plot Structure

Character

Reading the Play

Types of Plays

History

Modern Drama

THE PRACTICE EXAMS

Practice Test 1

Answer Key

Detailed Explanations of Answers

Practice Test 2

Answer Key

Detailed Explanations of Answers

Practice Test 3

Answer Key

Detailed Explanations of Answers

Practice Test 4

Answer Key

Detailed Explanations of Answers

Practice Test 5

Answer Key

Detailed Explanations of Answers

Practice Test 6

Answer Key

Detailed Explanations of Answers

LITERATURE INDEX

EXCERPT

About Research & Education Association

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ABOUT THE BOOK

This book provides you with an accurate and complete representation of the SAT II: Subject Test in Literature. It is composed of six complete practice tests based on the most recently administered Literature tests. Each test is modeled after the actual exam and takes one hour to complete. The tests cover every type of question that can be expected to appear on the exam. Following each test is an answer key complete with detailed explanations designed to clarify the material for the student.

By studying the review sections, completing all six tests, and studying the answer explanations, students can discover their strengths and weaknesses and prepare themselves for the actual exam in Literature.

ABOUT THE TEST

The SAT II: Subject Test in Literature is designed to test the student's ability to read and understand literature in English. Each exam consists of approximately sixty multiple-choice questions based on six to eight short reading comprehension passages.

The passages are drawn from:

- English literature (40-50%)

- American literature (40-50%)

- Other Literature written in English (0-10%)

Each test covers material from:

- Renaissance and 17th century (30%)

- 18th and 19th centuries (30%)

- 20th century (40%)

Each test contains:

- poetry selections (45-50%)

- prose selections (45-50%)

- drama and other selections (0-10%)

The Literature test does not require any specific knowledge of literature in English. The student is expected to possess a working knowledge of basic literary terms and to use analytical skills derived from high school literature studies to answer the test questions. The number of questions in a set is related to the length and complexity of the poem or passage. Generally, each group of questions based on a passage or poem consists of several questions about meaning, including effect and argument or theme, and several questions about form, including structure, generic properties, and method of organization. Where appropriate, the questions may also consider the narrative voice and the tone. The questions have five answer choices, and they can be categorized into three types: the regular multiple-choice question, the NOT/EXCEPT question, and the Roman numeral question.

ABOUT THE REVIEW SECTION

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 analyzing abilities to earn higher scores on the exam. 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 three review sections in this book correspond with the three topics covered on the SAT II exam.

READING PROSE - This review covers the various forms of prose the student may encounter on the SAT II 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 SAT II 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 samples of the types of questions which could be asked about drama on the SAT II exam. The various types of drama, including conflict, character, and types of plays are discussed at length with examples. Classic works such as Antigone, The Glass Menagerie, and Death of a Salesman are used to illustrate the topics covered.

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 test, 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 the works is excellent preparation for taking the SAT II: Literature Test.