The Human Experience - English

Which quotation from the poem "Sonnet in Primary Colors" by Rita Dove includes an allusion?

"Diego's / love a skull in the circular window"

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." Surely, that was enough to do, and live. Surely it was enough to spend the night upon the cliff. The Forest People themselves do not come near. Yet, all through the night, I knew that I should have to cross the river and walk in the places of the gods, although the gods ate me up. My magic did not help me at all and yet there was a fire in my bowels, a fire in my mind. When the sun rose, I thought, "My journey has been clean. Now I will go home from my journey." But, even as I thought so, I knew I could not. If I went to the Place of the Gods, I would surely die, but, if I did not go, I could never be at peace with my spirit again. It is better to lose one's life than one's spirit, if one is a priest and the son of a priest. Which quotation best explains why the narrator continues his journey to the Place of the Gods?

"I could never be at peace with my spirit again."

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." When I saw my father again, I prayed and was purified. He touched my lips and my breast, he said, "You went away a boy. You come back a man and a priest." I said, "Father, they were men! I have been in the Place of the Gods and seen it! Now slay me, if it is the law—but still I know they were men." He looked at me out of both eyes. He said, "The law is not always the same shape—you have done what you have done. I could not have done it my time, but you come after me. Tell!" Which excerpt from this passage best supports the theme that traditions and laws must adapt to new times?

"I could not have done it my time, but you come after me"

Which statement from "By the Waters of Babylon" provides the best example of how the physical environment shapes the character's actions?

"I tried to guide my raft with the pole but it spun around."

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." My raft went whirling downstream toward the Bitter Water. I looked after it, and thought if it had trod me under, at least I would be safely dead. Nevertheless, when I had dried my bowstring and re-strung it, I walked forward to the Place of the Gods. It felt like ground underfoot; it did not burn me. It is not true what some of the tales say, that the ground there burns forever, for I have been there. Here and there were the marks and stains of the Great Burning, on the ruins, that is true. But they were old marks and old stains. It is not true either, what some of our priests say, that it is an island covered with fogs and enchantments. It is not. It is a great Dead Place—greater than any Dead Place we know. Everywhere in it there are god-roads, though most are cracked and broken. Everywhere there are the ruins of the high towers of the gods. How shall I tell what I saw? I went carefully, my strung bow in my hand, my skin ready for danger. There should have been the wailings of spirits and the shrieks of demons, but there were not. It was very silent and sunny where I had landed—the wind and the rain and the birds that drop seeds had done their work—the grass grew in the cracks of the broken stone. Which details best reveal the setting of the passage? Select two options.

"It is a great Dead Place—greater than any Dead Place we know." "Everywhere there are the ruins of the high towers of the gods."

Read the passage from "Two Kinds." Last week I sent a tuner over to my parents' apartment and had the piano reconditioned, for purely sentimental reasons. My mother had died a few months before and I had been getting things in order for my father, a little bit at a time. I put the jewelry in special silk pouches. The sweaters she had knitted in yellow, pink, bright orange—all the colors I hated—I put those in moth-proof boxes. I found some old Chinese silk dresses, the kind with little slits up the sides. I rubbed the old silk against my skin, then wrapped them in tissue and decided to take them home with me. What evidence supports the idea that the narrator's motivation is intrinsic?

"Last week I sent a tuner over to my parents' apartment and had the piano reconditioned, for purely sentimental reasons."

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." I looked out of another window—the great vines of their bridges were mended and god-roads went east and west. Restless, restless, were the gods and always in motion! They burrowed tunnels under rivers—they flew in the air. With unbelievable tools they did giant works—no part of the earth was safe from them, for, if they wished for a thing, they summoned it from the other side of the world. And always, as they labored and rested, as they feasted and made love, there was a drum in their ears—the pulse of the giant city, beating and beating like a man's heart. Which text evidence from the passage best supports the theme that technology can come with an environmental cost?

"No part of the earth was safe from them, for, if they wished for a thing, they summoned it from the other side of the world."

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." Nevertheless, as I made the raft, the tears ran out of my eyes. The Forest People could have killed me without fight, if they had come upon me then, but they did not come. When the raft was made, I said the sayings for the dead and painted myself for death. My heart was cold as a frog and my knees like water, but the burning in my mind would not let me have peace. As I pushed the raft from the shore, I began my death song—I had the right. It was a fine song. Which textual evidence best supports the analysis that the setting develops the author's acceptance of death?

"The Forest People could have killed me without fight."

Which line from the poem "Monet's 'Waterlilies'" by Robert Hayden includes an allusion?

"Today as the news from Selma and Saigon"

Which phrases from the poem "Sonnet in Primary Colors" by Rita Dove appeal to the sense of sight? Select two options.

"erect / among parrots" "wildflowers entwining the plaster corset"

Which words from "Monet's 'Waterlilies'" by Robert Hayden most appeals to the sense of sight?

"through refracting tears"

Which lines from "Sonnet in Primary Colors" by Rita Dove provide an example of a rhyme?

"to the celluloid butterflies of her Beloved dead, / Lenin and Marx and Stalin arrayed at the footstead."

Which scenario is an example of extrinsic motivation?

(NOT) After she cheated on the exam, Crystal's guilt finally drove her to confess to her teacher.

Read Rita Dove's poem "Sonnet in Primary Colors," then study Frida Kahlo's painting Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot. This is for the woman with one black wing perched over her eyes: lovely Frida, erect among parrots, in the stern petticoats of the peasant, who painted herself a present—wildflowers entwining the plaster corset her spine resides in, that flaming pillar—this priestess in the romance of mirrors. Each night she lay down in pain and rose to the celluloid butterflies of her Beloved Dead,Lenin and Marx and Stalin arrayed at the footstead. And rose to her easel, the hundred dogs panting like children along the graveled walks of the garden, Diego's love a skull in the circular window of the thumbprint searing her immutable brow. Which statements best des

(NOT) The painting uses imagery that tells of Kahlo's connection to nature, while the poem does not.

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." Then I saw their fate come upon them and that was terrible past speech. It came upon them as they walked the streets of their city. I have been in the fights with the Forest People—I have seen men die. But this was not like that. When gods war with gods, they use weapons we do not know. It was fire falling out of the sky and a mist that poisoned. It was the time of the Great Burning and the Destruction. They ran about like ants in the streets of their city—poor gods, poor gods! Then the towers began to fall. A few escaped—yes, a few. The legends tell it. But, even after the city had become a Dead Place, for many years the poison was still in the ground. I saw it happen, I saw the last of them die. It was darkness over the broken city and I wept. Which theme is best established by the conflict in this passage?

(NOT) Those who come before us determine the future.

Intrinsic motivation: The narrator refuses to change her true nature to please someone else.

(NOT) obedience and self-control

Which statement best explains a difference between a character vs. self conflict and a character vs. character conflict?

A character vs. self conflict is an internal conflict, while a character vs. character conflict is an external conflict.

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." After a time, I myself was allowed to go into the dead houses and search for metal. So I learned the ways of those houses—and if I saw bones, I was no longer afraid. The bones are light and old—sometimes they will fall into dust if you touch them. But that is a great sin. What does the narrator's response to the setting reveal about his character?

He gains knowledge through experience.

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." It is not true what some of the tales say, that the ground there burns forever, for I have been there. Here and there were the marks and stains of the Great Burning, on the ruins, that is true. But they were old marks and old stains. It is not true either, what some of our priests say, that it is an island covered with fogs and enchantments. It is not. It is a great Dead Place—greater than any Dead Place we know. Everywhere in it there are god-roads, though most are cracked and broken. Everywhere there are the ruins of the high towers of the gods. How does visiting the Place of the Gods affect the narrator?

He learns that there is nothing supernatural to fear in the destroyed city.

Read the passage from "Two Kinds." And then I saw what seemed to be the prodigy side of me—because I had never seen that face before. I looked at my reflection, blinking so I could see more clearly. The girl staring back at me was angry, powerful. This girl and I were the same. I had new thoughts, willful thoughts, or rather thoughts filled with lots of won'ts. I won't let her change me, I promised myself. I won't be what I'm not. What kind of motivation do the narrator's thoughts show?

Intrinsic motivation: The narrator refuses to change her true nature to please someone else.

Read the passage from "Two Kinds." And I started to play. It was so beautiful. I was so caught up in how lovely I looked that at first I didn't worry how I would sound. So it was a surprise to me when I hit the first wrong note and I realized something didn't sound quite right. And then I hit another and another followed that. A chill started at the top of my head and began to trickle down. Yet I couldn't stop playing, as though my hands were bewitched. I kept thinking my fingers would adjust themselves back, like a train switching to the right track. I played this strange jumble through two repeats, the sour notes staying with me all the way to the end. How is this passage an example of an internal conflict?

It describes the narrator's thoughts and feelings as she struggles through a poor performance.

Read the scenario. Amaya is taking a class that her friend Keiko took a few years ago. Amaya finds the notes and assignments that Keiko saved from her time in the class, and starts using them for her own assignments. Keiko becomes upset after learning that Amaya has done this. Which resolutions connect to the theme that real friends will usually do the right thing? Select two options.

Keiko confronts Amaya directly, which leads to Amaya apologizing. Amaya hands the papers back to Keiko and promises to tell the teacher.

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." When I woke, the sun was low. Looking down from where I lay, I saw a dog sitting on his haunches. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth; he looked as if he were laughing. He was a big dog, with a gray-brown coat, as big as a wolf. I sprang up and shouted at him but he did not move—he just sat there as if he were laughing. I did not like that. When I reached for a stone to throw, he moved swiftly out of the way of the stone. He was not afraid of me; he looked at me as if I were meat. No doubt I could have killed him with an arrow, but I did not know if there were others. Moreover, night was falling. Which statement best describes the primary conflict that the narrator experiences in this passage?

The conflict is character vs. nature, since the narrator encounters a dog that presents a danger to him.

Read the passage from "Two Kinds." When my mother told me this, I felt as though I had been sent to hell. I whined and then kicked my foot a little when I couldn't stand it anymore. "Why don't you like me the way I am? I'm not a genius! I can't play the piano. And even if I could, I wouldn't go on TV if you paid me a million dollars!" I cried. My mother slapped me. "Who ask you be genius?" she shouted. "Only ask you be your best. For you sake. You think I want you to be genius? Hnnh! What for! Who ask you!" "So ungrateful," I heard her mutter in Chinese, "If she had as much talent as she has temper, she would be famous now." Which cultural differences are revealed through this conflict? Select two options.

The daughter wants to be valued for what she is, while the mother believes that the girl should always strive to be more. The daughter believes that her mother should accept and love her, but the mother believes that she should help her daughter succeed.

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." That is all of my story, for then I knew he was a man—I knew then that they had been men, neither gods nor demons. It is a great knowledge, hard to tell and believe. They were men—they went a dark road, but they were men. I had no fear after that—I had no fear going home, though twice I fought off the dogs and once I was hunted for two days by the Forest People. When I saw my father again, I prayed and was purified. He touched my lips and my breast, he said, "You went away a boy. You come back a man and a priest." I said, "Father, they were men! I have been in the Place of the Gods and seen it! Now slay me, if it is the law—but still I know they were men." How does the dialogue support the theme of the passage?

The dialogue supports the theme that knowledge is gained by taking risks, because it illustrates that the narrator makes a discovery by breaking the rules.

Which statement best explains the cultural conflict that occurs between the mother and the daughter in "Two Kinds"?

The mother has moved to the United States from China and wants to preserve the Chinese family structure, but the daughter wants independence like a US teenager.

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." At first I was afraid to approach him—then the fear left me. He was sitting looking out over the city—he was dressed in the clothes of the gods. His age was neither young nor old—I could not tell his age. But there was wisdom in his face and great sadness. You could see that he would have not run away. He had sat at his window, watching his city die—then he himself had died. But it is better to lose one's life than one's spirit—and you could see from the face that his spirit had not been lost. I knew, that, if I touched him, he would fall into dust—and yet, there was something unconquered in the face. How does the conflict at the beginning of the paragraph move the plot forward?

The narrator realizes that the god was a man.

Read the poem "Monet's 'Waterlilies'" by Robert Hayden. Today as the news from Selma and Saigonpoisons the air like fallout,I come again to seethe serene, great picture that I love. Here space and time exist in lightthe eye like the eye of faith believes.The seen, the knowndissolve in iridescence, becomeillusive flesh of lightthat was not, was, forever is. O light beheld as through refracting tears.Here is the aura of that worldeach of us has lost.Here is the shadow of its joy. What evidence supports the conclusion that the poem is written in free verse? Select two options.

There is no rhyme scheme. The lines are unequal in length.

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." Toward the setting of the eighth sun, I came to the banks of the great river. It was half-a-day's journey after I had left the god-road—we do not use the god-roads now for they are falling apart into great blocks of stone, and the forest is safer going. A long way off, I had seen the water through trees but the trees were thick. At last, I came out upon an open place at the top of a cliff. There was the great river below, like a giant in the sun. It is very long, very wide. It could eat all the streams we know and still be thirsty. Its name is Ou-dis-sun, the Sacred, the Long. No man of my tribe had seen it, not even my father, the priest. It was magic and I prayed. Which details from the text best support the idea that the narrator is cautious in this new setting? Select two options.

They are falling apart into great blocks of stone, and the forest is safer going." "No man of my tribe had seen it, not even my father, the priest. It was magic and I prayed."

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." After a while, I knew that my belly was hungry. I could have hunted for my meat, but I did not hunt. It is known that the gods did not hunt as we do—they got their food from enchanted boxes and jars. Sometimes these are still found in the Dead Places—once, when I was a child and foolish, I opened such a jar and tasted it and found the food sweet. But my father found out and punished me for it strictly, for, often, that food is death. Now, though, I had long gone past what was forbidden, and I entered the likeliest towers, looking for the food of the gods. I found it at last in the ruins of a great temple in the mid-city. A mighty temple it must have been, for the roof was painted like the sky at night with its stars—that much I could see, though the colors were faint and dim. It went down into great caves and tunnels—perhaps they kept their slaves there. But when I started to climb down, I heard the squeaking of rats, so I did not go—rats are unclean, and there must have been many tribes of them, from the squeaking. But near there, I found food, in the heart of a ruin, behind a door that still opened. I ate only the fruits from the jars—they had a very sweet taste. How does the resolution in this passage help develop the theme about rules?

When the narrator decides to ignore his father's words and eat the food of the gods, he realizes that he is learning to make his own choices.

What types of settings are typical of postapocalyptic fiction? Select two options.

a burned-out city a destroyed bridge

What is the most accurate definition of resolution?

a conclusion to the entire plot

The rhyme pattern that occurs at the ends of lines in poetry is called

a rhyme scheme.

Read the lines from Robert Hayden's poem "Monet's 'Waterlilies,'" and then look at the painting Water Lilies by Claude Monet. Today as the news from Selma and Saigonpoisons the air like fallout,I come again to seethe serene, great picture that I love. What does the poem include that the artwork does not?

an allusion to conflict

Read the passage from "Two Kinds." "You want me to be something that I'm not!" I sobbed. "I'll never be the kind of daughter you want me to be!" "Only two kinds of daughters," she shouted in Chinese. "Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!" "Then I wish I weren't your daughter. I wish you weren't my mother," I shouted. As I said these things I got scared. It felt like worms and toads and slimy things crawling out of my chest, but it also felt good, as if this awful side of me had surfaced, at last. "Too late change this," said my mother shrilly. And I could sense her anger rising to its breaking point. I wanted see it spill over. And that's when I remembered the babies she had lost in China, the ones we never talked about. "Then I wish I'd never been born!" I shouted. "I wish I were dead! Like them." Which conflicts are revealed in the passage? Select two options.

an internal conflict within the narrator, who is frightened by the extremity of her anger at her mother an external conflict between the narrator, who is demanding independence, and her mother, who is demanding obedience

Read the passage from "Two Kinds." I had assumed that my talent-show fiasco meant I never had to play the piano again. But two days later, after school, my mother came out of the kitchen and saw me watching TV. "Four clock," she reminded me as if it were any other day. I was stunned, as though she were asking me to go through the talent-show torture again. I wedged myself more tightly in front of the TV. "Turn off TV," she called from the kitchen five minutes later. I didn't budge. And then I decided. I didn't have to do what mother said anymore. I wasn't her slave. This wasn't China. I had listened to her before and look what happened. She was the stupid one. She came out from the kitchen and stood in the arched entryway of the living room. "Four clock," she said once again, louder. "I'm not going to play anymore," I said nonchalantly. "Why should I? I'm not a genius." She walked over and stood in front of the TV. I saw her chest was heaving up and down in an angry way. "No!" I said, and I now felt stronger, as if my true self had finally emerged. So this was what had been inside me all along. "No! I won't!" I screamed. What type of conflict occurs in the passage?

character vs. character

The term internal conflict refers to a struggle between a character and

him- or herself.

Which term is a synonym for atmosphere?

mood

Which details in a story are most related to setting? Select three options.

time location atmosphere

Read the stanza from "Sonnet in Primary Colors" by Rita Dove. This is for the woman with one black wing perched over her eyes: lovely Frida, erect among parrots, in the stern petticoats of the peasant, who painted herself a present—wildflowers entwining the plaster corset her spine resides in, that flaming pillar—this priestess in the romance of mirrors. Read the underlined phrase. What is the most likely reason the poet includes this metaphor?

to describe a prominent feature of Frida's face