English semester test

It's hard to know when you're in high school that "the smart thing" is likely to translate into later success, or that "the girl thing" is bound to improve.

"the smart thing"; "the girl thing"

Which of the following quotations from the story "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe is a simple sentence? Choose two that apply.

1. Three sides of this interior crypt were still ornamented in this manner. 2. There was then a long and obstinate silence.

Which of the following is a compound-complex sentence?

Fred got up, and while he was raking the leaves, he told George a funny story.

What does the dialogue in paragraph 2 suggest about Fortunato's reaction to his situation?

He has become hysterical and has gone into denial.

Part A Which characteristic of the story most clearly indicates that it is Modern Gothic?

It depicts odd events in the lives of ordinary people. Paragraph 4

Part A How does the account of Fortunato in paragraphs 10 and 11 most clearly reflect the style of Gothic literature?

It describes a character in torment, using dramatic language. Paragraph 11, first sentence

What does paragraph 5 contribute to the reader's understanding of Montresor?

It shows that he is calmly enjoying his vengeance.

Part A How do the setting and events of the passage most clearly work together to create the effects of Gothic literature?

The darkness of the crypt and the piles of bones it contains terrify Fortunato and add to his eventual panic. Paragraph 5

What is the main trait that makes some teenagers unpopular, according to "Revenge of the Geeks"?

being different

The word _____ is an example of an adjective formed from the noun demonstration.

demonstrative

The word _______ is built from the base word satisfy by adding a prefix and a suffix.

dissatisfaction

If a boss wanted to marginalize her rivals on the job, how might she do it?

give them unimportant things to do

How does the example of Taylor Swift add relevance to the author's argument in "Revenge of the Geeks"? Choose two options.

1. by using a current reference that most readers would know 2. by connecting a recognizable person to the author's claim

According to "Revenge of the Geeks," which of the following characteristics benefit geeks later in life? Choose three options.

1. intelligence 2. problem-solving skills 3. technological understanding

Which of the following is a prepositional phrase? Choose two that apply.

1. into the garage 2. within the house

In each of the following sentences, the underlined word has the basic denotation, "forcibly separate into pieces." Which word has the strongest connotations? Base your answer on context.

A lion will rend its prey into pieces.

Part A After reading "Revenge of the Geeks," how would you describe the author's attitude toward the environment in today's schools? Part B Which quotation from "Revenge of the Geeks" best supports the inference stated in the answer to Part A?

A. She thinks that outsiders often endure terrible social situations in school. B. [L]et's also stop to consider the outcasts, students for whom finishing high school feels like liberation from a state-imposed sentence.

Part A According to "Revenge of the Geeks," why is it important for adults to let high school students know that it can be good to be different? Part B Which quotation from "Revenge of the Geeks" best supports the answer to Part A?

A. Students lack the life experience to understand that the qualities that make them outsiders now can benefit them later in life. B. It's hard to know when you're in high school that "the smart thing" is likely to translate into later success, or that "the girl thing" is bound to improve. That's why it's up to adults to convey constantly to teenagers that the characteristics that marginalize them can pay off after graduation.

In "Revenge of the Geeks," which evidence best supports the author's claim that "the characteristics that marginalize [geeks] can pay off after graduation"?

Gamers know how to problem-solve and collaborate.

How could the underlined sentence be changed to increase parallelism? Choose the revision that best enhances the parallel structure while keeping the same basic meaning.

Grownups would have an easier time at work if bosses appreciated and celebrated differences.

What conclusion can you draw about Montresor's feelings based on this dialogue?

He feels indifferent to Fortunato's plea.

Which of the following answer choices uses a first-person point of view?

I told my companions that I had every intention of exploring the boarded-up house.

How does the first-person point of view heighten the weird mood of Poe's story?

It takes the reader into the mind of a calculating killer.

Which of the following answer choices best explains how this quotation reflects the style of Gothic literature?

It uses dramatic and descriptive language.

Which of the following sentences contains the clearest example of scientific or technical vocabulary?

Reading affects neurons and synapses in various regions of the brain.

Which revision(s) would be most effective to achieve the proper style?

Revise from informal to formal: "This character, who has real intensity, is too calm at the end to be considered sane."

How does Professor Hoffmann provide the strongest support for her claim about the quality of scary films?

She cites major awards given over a long period.

Rewrite the sentence to replace the prepositional phrase with skill with an adverb of manner.

The author used skillfully to heighten the tension and to reinforce the mood.

Which statement best explains why "The Prisoner of Chillon" is an example of narrative poetry?

The poem presents characters and a plot.

Which of the following answer choices best shows the ambiguity of the story's ending?

The reader does not know what will happen to Martha and Tom.

According to "Revenge of the Geeks," what do Taylor Swift, Tim Gunn, and J. K. Rowling have in common?

They all have traits that made them unpopular in high school but led to success as adults.

Which answer choice best explains how point of view contributes to the tension of the passage?

Using first-person point of view, the writer makes clear that the narrator does not know what is about to happen.

Which of these quotations best expresses the central idea of "Revenge of the Geeks"?

[Students] need to know before graduation that being different is not a problem but a strength.

Part A Which of the following is a feature of the passage that most clearly suggests it is a work of Magical Realism?

a contrast between routine details and a fantastical occurrence last paragraph

Which of the following words has the same denotation as the word unusual but a more negative connotation?

abnormal

If the members of a group consider someone a pariah, how do they treat him or her?

as an outsider

In which of the following circumstances could someone be accused of bigotry?

if he or she rejected people because of their race

Which of the following techniques does the author use most clearly in making her point?

parallel structure

Whom does the author of "Revenge of the Geeks" cite to lend credibility to her argument that cliquish behavior may result in bigotry?

psychologists

Then that comforting thought died, attacked by a realization that ______ struck at my raw, defenseless nerve.

repeatedly

Which of the following elements characterize this passage? Choose two that apply.

symbolic images psychological drama

Part A Which is most likely a central theme of the story from which the passage is taken? Part B Which of the following quotations best supports the answer to Part A?

A. Life's routines can deaden imagination and hope. B. But it's hard even for a lost dream to compete with the inexorable attractions of cell phone screens and day-to-day worries. (paragraph 4)

Part A With which of the following statements would the author of "Revenge of the Geeks" most likely agree? Part B Which quotation from "Revenge of the Geeks" most clearly supports the answer to Part A?

A. Schools should encourage students to develop the qualities that make them stand apart from other students. B. The education landscape would be so much more bearable if students could understand [that those who don't follow the in-crowd's lead aren't less socially successful]. And if schools found better ways to nurture kids who reject the in-crowd image.

Part A Which of the following answer choices best describe the narrator's tone? Part B Which words from the passage best reveal the tone referred to in Part A?

A. unaffected B. It was nothing special.

Which answer choice best describes what makes Professor Hoffmann a credible interviewee?

She has studied many scary movies and written a book about them.

Read the following items, and then study the underlined text. Which underlined word or group of words is the object of a preposition?

The sun shone on the carriage.

Part A According to the information in "Revenge of the Geeks," how can being part of a popular group in high school later lead students to hold prejudiced beliefs? Part B Which quotation from "Revenge of the Geeks" best supports the answer to Part A?

A. Students belonging to a popular group learn to reject others who are not like them. B. Psychologists point out that high-status cliques teach the exclusionary behavior that may be the foundation for eventual racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, and other forms of bigotry.

Which of the following is a compound sentence?

Laughing wildly, she ran to the door, but she had collected herself before opening it.

Which of the following answer choices most clearly uses an omniscient point of view?

The duke thought of the riches he would have as he opened the chest of gold, unaware that he was being watched.