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Comprehension
Lesson 1		 Understanding Theme/Message, and Supportive Details
   Objectives/Vocab/Tips > Examples 1 | 2 | 3 > Practice: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 > Self Check
Example 2:

Instruction:

Open and read a short story, The Phantom. You'll find it linked to the book icon on the right. Then we'll work through another multiple choice question. Keep the passage open as we work through this example.
The Phantom

Question:

What do you think the author is telling readers in this story?

Think:

  • What are the key words in this question?
    " author, telling readers" You should recognize the question is asking about the message or theme!
  • What lessons has the main character learned?
    A good place to look is the first and last paragraphs.
  • Does the title reveal anything special about the story?
    A "phantom" is something that cannot be seen.
  • What is the conflict in the passage?
    The submarine is held on the bottom of the ocean by _____.
  • Does the narrator make any key statements about life or people?
    Check last paragraph.
  • Can the idea presented in the answer be supported by details in the passage?
  • Which choices can you eliminate right away, and which are possibly correct answers?
    Remember the "YES, NO, MAYBE" tool

Multiple Choice Answers:

Yes
No
Maybe
  
Answers
A. Submarine crews have bad nerves
B. Weird flowers can be found on the ocean bottom.
C. Mysterious flowers stopped The Phantom from doing any more killing.
D. Secret missions are very dangerous.
Check your responses with these explanations:

Choice:

Now we need to decide between answers C and D and support our choice with details from the story. Remember in the Tips and Tools section you learned to ask these questions to figure out main idea, or what the author is saying: 

  • What lessons has he or she learned?
    Think: The author doesn't understand where the flowers came from, but he doesn't understand war either.

  • Does the title reveal anything special about the story?
    Think: The story is mainly about The Phantom because that is the title. That means the submarine is quite important to the meaning of the story in a specific way, rather than a broad example of a dangerous war situation.

  • What is the conflict in the passage?
    Think: The submarine can't get out of the flowers to accomplish its mission of destroying the enemy ships above.

  • Does the narrator make any key statements about life or people?
    Think:     Yes - you found the supporting statement didn't you? The narrator says at the end: "To this day, I don't understand where the flowers came from." And earlier, "I believe those hands were stopping The Phantom from doing any more killing."

  • Can this idea be supported by details in the passage?
    Think: Yes - specifically the flowers stopped the submarine from ascending and shooting torpedoes at enemy ships, and so stopped more people from being killed at the end of the war.
Let's review answers C and D now that we've really looked at key elements of the story.
  1. Mysterious flowers stopped The Phantom from doing any more killing.
    YES - We're CORRECT and we also know why! We found this answer right in something the narrator said!

  2. Secret missions are very dangerous.
    NO     - We realize this answer is too broad and cannot be completely supported by details. C is the BETTER answer.
And so our decision is C:

Example 3 >>

 
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