Key terms & definitions

The ability to read and write.

The ability to understand and communicate meaning through reading and writing.

The ability to read and write. In Animal Farm, unequal literacy gives the pigs greater control over laws and information.

The percentage of adults who can read and write.

A reading or writing test used as a condition for voter registration. Southern officials used these tests unfairly to exclude Black voters.

Applying a rule or agreement according to its exact words rather than its broader purpose.

Reading a text as describing events that happened exactly as written; a literal reading of Genesis understands creation as taking place in six ordinary days.

A person who understands a scriptural creation account as a factual description of what happened, including its stated sequence and timescale.

The straightforward meaning of words in their immediate context.

Written accounts used to investigate the past, including histories that may have been composed long after the events they describe.

A kind of writing, such as poetry, law, historical narrative or prophecy, whose features help readers understand its intended meaning.

Non-fiction that uses crafted description, narrative or other literary techniques to present real experiences or ideas.

Writing organised into sentences and paragraphs rather than verse; literary prose includes novels and short stories.

A written account from the ancient world, such as a history or biography, used as evidence about the past.

A literary work or story that a writer draws on and adapts when creating a new work.

An ancient text studied as evidence for the past, including the values, assumptions and representations of its writer and society.

A review of existing research and writing on a topic, used to identify what is already known and questions needing further investigation.

Earth's rigid outer shell, made of the crust and uppermost mantle and divided into tectonic plates.

Paper containing a coloured indicator that responds to acidic or alkaline conditions.

Paper containing a coloured indicator that changes colour in acidic or alkaline conditions.

A form of understatement that expresses an idea by denying its opposite, such as describing a misleading claim as not entirely untrue.

Dead organic material on the ground, including fallen leaves and twigs.

A chair or couch carried by attendants, allowing its passenger to travel without walking.

A teacher of elementary reading, writing and arithmetic in ancient Rome.

A relatively cool period, approximately AD 1300–1870, associated with colder winters in Europe and North America.

A collection of quotations from Mao Zedong’s speeches and writings, used to spread his ideas and encourage loyalty to him.

The wartime wage policy established in July 1942 that generally limited increases in hourly wage rates to 15 per cent above their January 1941 level, subject to adjustments and exceptions.

Christian worship that follows an established order, often using set prayers and congregational responses.

The prayers and rituals regularly performed by a religious community.

An expensive public service that a wealthy Athenian performed at his own cost.