English 9A final exam

Read the passage from "War." Then answer the questions. from "War" by Jack London 1 HE was a young man, not more than twenty-four or five, and he might have sat his horse with the careless grace of his youth had he not been so catlike and tense. His black eyes roved everywhere . . . questing ever onward through the changing vistas of trees and brush . . . And as he watched, so did he listen, though he rode on in silence, save for the boom of heavy guns from far to the west. This had been sounding monotonously in his ears for hours, and only its cessation could have aroused his notice. For he had business closer to hand. Across his saddle-bow was balanced a carbine. 2 So tensely was he strung, that a bunch of quail, exploding into flight from under his horse's nose, startled him to such an extent that automatically, instantly, he had reined in and fetched the carbine halfway to his shoulder. He grinned sheepishly, recovered himself, and rode on . . . so bent upon the work he had to do, that the sweat stung his eyes unwiped, and unheeded rolled down his nose and spattered his saddle pommel . . . It was high noon of a breathless day of heat. Even the birds and squirrels did not dare the sun, but sheltered in shady hiding places among the trees. 3 Man and horse were littered with leaves and dusted with yellow pollen. . . They kept to the brush and trees, and invariably the man halted and peered out before crossing a dry glade or naked stretch of upland pasturage. He worked always to the north, though his way was devious. . . He was no coward, but his courage was only that of the average civilized man, and he was looking to live, not die. 4 Up a small hillside he followed a cowpath through such dense scrub that he was forced to dismount and lead his horse. But when the path swung around to the west, he abandoned it and headed to the north again along the oak-covered top of the ridge. 5 The ridge ended in a steep descent — so steep that he zigzagged back and forth . . . sliding and stumbling among the dead leaves and matted vines. . . The sweat ran from him, and the pollen-dust, settling pungently in mouth and nostrils, increased his thirst. Try as he would, nevertheless the descent was noisy, and frequently he stopped, panting in the dry heat and listening for any warning from beneath. 6 At the bottom he came out on a flat, so densely forested that he could not make out its extent Here the character of the woods changed, and he was able to remount. Instead of the twisted hillside oaks, tall straight trees, big-trunked and prosperous, rose from the damp fat soil. Only here and there were thickets, easily avoided, while he encountered winding, park-like glades where the cattle had pastured . . . before war had run them off. 7 His progress was more rapid now, as he came down into the valley, and at the end of half an hour he halted . . . at the edge of a clearing. He did not like the openness of it, yet his path lay across to the fringe of trees that marked the banks of the stream. It was a mere quarter of a mile across that open, but the thought of venturing out in it was repugnant. A rifle, a score of them, a thousand, might lurk in that fringe by the stream. 8 Twice he essayed to start, and twice he paused. He was appalled by his own loneliness. The pulse of war that beat from the West suggested the companionship of battling thousands; here was naught but silence, and himself, and possible death-dealing bullets from a myriad ambushes. And yet his task was to find what he feared to find. He must on, and on, till somewhere, some time, he encountered another man, or other men, from the other side, scouting, as he was scouting, to make report, as he must make report, of having come in touch. 9 Changing his mind, he skirted inside the woods for a distance, and again peeped forth. This time, in the middle of the clearing, he saw a small farmhouse. There were no signs of life. . . The kitchen door stood open, and he gazed so long and hard into the black aperture that it seemed almost that a farmer's wife must emerge at any moment. 10 He licked the pollen and dust from his dry lips, stiffened himself, mind and body, and rode out into the blazing sunshine. Nothing stirred. He went on past the house, and approached . . . the river's bank. One thought persisted maddeningly. It was of the crash into his body of a high-velocity bullet. It made him feel very fragile and defenseless, and he crouched lower in the saddle. 11 Tethering his horse in the edge of the wood, he continued on foot till he came to the stream . . . cool and inviting, and he was very thirsty. But he waited . . . his eyes fixed on the screen on the opposite side. To make the wait endurable, he sat down, his carbine resting on his knees. The minutes passed, and slowly his tenseness relaxed. At last he decided there was no danger; but just as he prepared to part the bushes and bend down to the water, a movement among the opposite bushes caught his eye. 12 It might be a bird. But he waited. Again there was an agitation of the bushes, and then, so suddenly that it almost startled a cry from him, the bushes parted and a face peered out. It was a face covered with several weeks' growth of ginger-colored beard. The eyes were blue and wide apart, with laughter-wrinkles in the comers that showed despite the tired and anxious expression of the whole face. 13 All this he could see with microscopic clearness, for the distance was no more than twenty feet. And all this he saw in such brief time, that he saw it as he lifted his carbine to his shoulder. He glanced along the sights, and knew that he was gazing upon a man who was as good as dead. It was impossible to miss at such point blank range. 14 But he did not shoot. Slowly he lowered the carbine and watched. A hand, clutching a water-bottle, became visible and the ginger beard bent downward to fill the bottle. He could hear the gurgle of the water. Then arm and bottle and ginger beard disappeared behind the closing bushes. A long time he waited, when, with thirst unslaked, he crept back to his horse, rode slowly across the sunwashed clearing, and passed into the shelter of the woods beyond. Select the detail from paragraph 7 that best helps the reader understand the meaning of repugnant.

"A rifle, a score of them , a thousand. , might lurk"

Read the poem "Not to Keep." Then answer the questions. Not to Keep by Robert Frost They sent him back to her. The letter came Saying... And she could have him. And before She could be sure there was no hidden ill Under the formal writing, he was in her sight, 5 They gave him back to her alive— How else? They are not known to send the dead— And not disfigured visibly. His face? His hands? She had to look, and ask, "What was it, dear?" And she had given all 10 And still she had all - they had - they the lucky! Wasn't she glad now? Everything seemed won, And all the rest for them permissible ease. She had to ask, "What was it, dear?" "Enough, Yet not enough. A bullet through and through, High in the breast. Nothing but what good care And medicine and rest, and you a week, Can cure me of to go again." The same Grim giving to do over for them both. 20 She dared no more than ask him with her eyes How was it with him for a second trial. And with his eyes he asked her not to ask. They had given him back to her, but not to keep. Select the statement that describes what the phrase grim giving refers to in context of the poem.

"Forced to contribute money for the war" "Recovering from a wound received in war" "Required to remain silent about war"

Which statements accurately describe how central ideas from "Spider-Man and Extreme Science: A Web of Connections?" are shaped and refined over the course of the text? Select all that apply.

The author poses a question about the relationship between the real world and fictional worlds and then provides details to show how those two worlds are the same and different, including examples from across history. The author compares real science and comic book science, including multiple examples from each, to show that the line between fact and fiction is blurry.

Which statement best describes how a central idea of the story is first introduced?

The idea that the young man wants to survive the war is introduced by the description of the young man as "catlike and tense" in paragraph 1.

Which statement best reflects an implication of the cultural experience expressed in the story?

The passage suggests that this culture believes music can be transformative.

Read the passage. Then answer the questions. Spider-Man and Extreme Science: A Web of Connections? by Nick D'Alto 1 Chomp! A radioactive spider bites chemistry student Peter Parker and he becomes the Amazing Spider-Man. Zap! Gamma rays mutate physicist Bruce Banner into the green-skinned "Hulk." Fiction? 2 That depends. How much are real scientists like scientists from the comic books? Does comic book science inspire real scientific breakthroughs, and vice versa? Let's see. Incredible, Unpredictable. . .Sometimes Scary Real Science 3 Real-life extreme scientists have performed some incredible "maverick" experiments of their own. Chemist Marie Curie helped discover radioactivity. And while we don't know of any scientists who have been blasted with gamma rays (which are generated by radioactive atoms and in nuclear explosions), they have experimented with numerous forms of radiation. 4 Just as in the comics, real scientific mavericks may begin their work when an unusual event (even an accident) occurs that puts them in great peril. Extreme engineer Nikola Tesla was exposed to immense electrical discharges while perfecting AC current. To isolate the element radium, Marie Curie unknowingly absorbed lethal radiation. Galileo's astronomy left him almost blind. Ben Franklin's extreme lightning experiment nearly electrocuted him. (Franklin's perils inspired the novel Frankenstein.) 5 But the discoveries made by real maverick scientists often isolate them for a period rather than make them famous like comic book heroes. Why? Because their discoveries are often way out of the box. The scientists are so immersed in work, which only they understand, that they can seem strange! (Does a bushy-haired, whacky scientist come to mind?) 6 Science is filled with examples. Geologist Alfred Wegener's idea that continents move (today called plate tectonics) was once called nonsense. Maverick geneticist Barbara McClintock (1983 Nobel Prize winner for discovering that genes are mobile within the chromosomes of a plant cell) wasn't recognized as a genius until she was in her 80s. Paleontologist Robert Bakker's "heresy" that dinosaurs were fast (not slow, as everyone thought) proved true. Which statement best explains how the author introduces a central idea in the first few paragraphs of the article?

Through the use of rhetorical questions, the author introduces the idea that there is a relationship between science in fiction and in real life.

Part A Which statement best reflects a connection established throughout the passage? Part B Which quote from the passage provides the best support for the answer to Part A?

A-Only when efforts are made to share land peacefully can war be avoided. B-"Du Sable befriended the native people in the area and eventually established a trading post that served the trappers and hunters who traveled through the region." (paragraph 9)

How do Tansen's conflicting motivations most advance the plot in the story?

Because he knows he must obey the emperor but also wants to survive, Tansen comes up with a solution that allows him to do both and enhances his reputation.

Which statement most clearly expresses one way comics imitate real science, according to the article?

Comics often reflect recent scientific breakthroughs.

What is most revealed about the emperor through his interactions with the Jewels of the Crown?

He is more concerned about his reputation than he is about the well-being of others.

What does the phrase appalled by his loneliness in paragraph 8 reveal about the main character?

He is upset with himself for not wanting to encounter enemy scouts, even though that is his assignment.

Read the passage from "Tansen's Gift," an Indian folktale. Then answer the questions. from "Tansen's Gift" by Dawn Renée Levesque 1 The emperor sat down upon a silken rug and listened. Somewhere in the forest a man plucked the strings of a tanpura. His compelling voice drifted between the boughs of the trees like a gentle wind into the ears and hearts of its listeners. 2 So pleased was the emperor that he completely forgot about the tiger and summoned his royal entourage to find who had sung so magically. 3 Before the sun rose over the hills and cast its warmth across the earth, a messenger came to the door of Tansen and led him through the gates of the palace directly to the Hall of Private Audience. When Emperor Akbar once again heard the sweet sound of Tansen's voice in harmony with the wooden instrument that lay across his lap, he was brought to tears. 4 So impressed was the emperor that he added Tansen to the other Jewels of the Crown—the most outstanding talents to be found in the kingdom. Tansen was soon entertaining the emperor every evening. As the sun set over Fatehpur Sikri, he would gently lull the emperor to sleep, and just as the sun rose over the hills and kissed the earth, Tansen would be in the emperor's bedchamber, singing ever so softly to slowly awaken him. 5 Tansen's reputation spread. After a time, the other Jewels of the Crown grew jealous of the attention Tansen was receiving and plotted secretly for his downfall. To reclaim their influence, they agreed that Tansen's reputation must be tarnished in front of the emperor. 6 One morning, they approached the emperor, voicing doubts about the beauty of Tansen's music. They suggested that if he was indeed as good as they had heard, he should sing Deepak Raga for the court—if this song was sung to perfection, it was said that lamps would alight, and the singer's body would be consumed by fire and turn to ash. 7 The emperor faced a dilemma: if he dismissed his other advisers' proposal, they would spread rumors of his weakness; if he accepted their suggestion, it could forever destroy the beauty of Tansen's gift. 8 Nevertheless, Emperor Akbar approached Tansen and ordered that he sing Deepak Raga. Tansen protested, but the emperor held up his hand, silencing Tansen's protests, and told him that he must accept the challenge. 9 Tansen knew the dangers of singing Deepak Raga. He pondered deeply and paced the garden until he had worn a dirt path with his feet. At last, he saw how he could be saved. Perhaps someone could accompany him by singing Megh Raga, which would bring the rain... 10 On the day of the performance, the court was packed with royal guests. The lamps upon the walls stood unlit, and the guests sat in darkness as they waited in anticipation to hear the most difficult raga ever sung. 11 Tansen anxiously sat down with his tanpura upon his lap. By his side was Rupa, the woman who would accompany him, singing Megh Raga simultaneously. 12 The emperor entered and sat upon his gem-encrusted throne. At a motion from Akbar, Tansen began to sing. It was not long before the air became hot, thick, and heavy. Sweat beaded on each guest's brow. Flowers in the nearby garden began to droop. 13 The heat in the room was nearly unbearable as Tansen continued to sing. Suddenly the lamps upon the walls flared up. The emperor stood, deeply enchanted with the intense power of the raga. 14 Rupa grew nervous. Her voice was but a whisper. She looked worriedly at Tansen. His face had grown red like the sandstone of the palace and dripped with sweat. It drenched his clothes and made a puddle around him. 15 Rupa gathered her courage and began to sing Megh Raga. Her voice grew stronger as she sang, and it soared through the thick, warm air, over the rooftops to the sky above, which darkened. 16 Heavy, gray clouds swelled. Then the rains came, their cool drops refreshing the audience, filling the fountains, and awakening the drooping flowers. 17 Upon the realization that he had almost lost his greatest musician, the emperor, greatly relieved, showered Tansen with gratitude and many gifts. But the fire of Deepak Raga had not left Tansen untouched. He fell ill and was able to return to court only months later. 18 Yet Tansen's glory spread faster than the fiery power of Deepak Raga. Accounts of Tansen swiftly spread down the valleys and across the hilltops to other kingdoms. 19 If you look upon a small grassy hill in the northern part of India today, you will see a small tamarind tree. Its flowers of white petals and pink stripes float down to gently rest upon the carved stone tomb of Tansen. It has been said that anyone who eats a pale green leaf from this wizened tree and then touches the tomb will be graced with the gift of song. And each year in Gwalior, where Tansen's tomb lies, a festival featuring musicians playing traditional ragas captivates audiences and pays tribute to his gift.

Part A Which statement best reflects a point of view expressed in the story? Creativity and logic can solve any problem Part B Choose the detail that best supports the answer to Part A. "9. He pondered deeply and placed with garden until he hard worn a dirt path with his feet. At last , he saw how he could be saved. Perhaps someone could accompany him by singing , megh raga which would be the rain"

Read the passage. Then answer the questions. First Settlement by Andrew Matthews 1 It's hard to imagine Chicago, the third most-populated city in the United States today, as ever being an open, swampy plain. But the area near the southern tip of Lake Michigan was once rich with wildlife, fish, and fertile soil. Different Native American groups, including the Illinois, Kickapoo, Miami, Ojibwa, Ottawa, Potawatomi, and Shawnee, once lived there. When the first French trappers and settlers arrived in present-day Canada and reached the western Great Lakes in the 1600s, they established a fur trade with the native communities there. 2 In 1673, Jacques Marquette, a French missionary, and Louis Joliet, a French fur trader, led a small expedition to learn more about the Mississippi River. They became the first Frenchmen to explore the interior of the continent. From the northeastern shore of Lake Michigan, they made it as far as present-day St. Louis, Missouri, before turning around. 3 On the journey back to Quebec, Canada, Marquette and Joliet followed a shorter route suggested by a native chief. It took them past the site of present-day Chicago. The native people called it Eschikagou or Shikaakwa, for the wild, smelly onions that grew there. To the French, it became Chigagou. Joliet noted how ideal the place was for agriculture. He also realized that the site provided access to the entire interior of the continent. 4 The profitable fur trade with the French around the Great Lakes had drawn the attention of the Iroquois Indians living in upstate New York. They began to move westward to seize control of it. From the mid-1640s to the late 1690s in what became known as the Beaver Wars, the raiding Iroquois wiped out or displaced entire native communities. As survivors moved westward to avoid the Iroquois, their resettlement created upheaval for the native groups already living there. The clashes among different Native Americans for control and survival, and the growing presence of European nations, sparked violent conflicts in North America. The land around present-day Chicago became one of the prizes for the victor to claim. 5 By the mid-1700s, the history of enmity that existed between France and Great Britain in Europe spread to North America, where both countries had colonies. France claimed Canada and the land around the Mississippi River, which it had named Louisiana. Great Britain controlled most of the land along the East Coast. In the French and Indian War (1754-1763), France and Great Britain, with Native American allies on each side, engaged in a war that each nation hoped would leave it in control of the entire continent. 6 When Great Britain won the war, France lost nearly all its territory in North America. After hastily negotiating a secret deal to cede western Louisiana to Spain, France gave up Canada and its claim to land east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain. 7 Two decades later, the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) changed the North America map again: This time, the United States was the victor, and it claimed the land east of the Mississippi River from Great Britain. It also quickly organized the area south of the Great Lakes and north of the Ohio River into the Northwest Territory. White settlers began arriving, and native groups in the area once again found themselves living on land coveted by others. 8 The first nonnative settler on the site that became Chicago was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Little is known about du Sable's early life. Most sources describe him as born in Haiti, then a French Caribbean colony, and having African ancestry. He seems to have traveled to present-day Michigan and Indiana in the mid-1700s as a fur trader. 9 In the 1780s, du Sable built a home on the north bank of the Chicago River. As Marquette and Joliet had observed nearly 100 years earlier, the site was an important location and a key portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Du Sable befriended the native people in the area and eventually established a trading post that served the trappers and hunters who traveled through the region. 10 Over the next decade, du Sable built a settlement on the edge of the wilderness. His business grew rapidly and became a destination for frontier travelers. Hugh Heward, a Detroit trader who stopped at the post in 1790, described the settlement as "a large trading post, properly equipped, a log home, two barns, a bake house, a horse mill, a poultry house, a work shop, a dairy, a milk house, and numerous outhouses." As one early historian noted, "du Sable brought early Chicago to a position of commercial importance and assured respectability." Today, du Sable is recognized as the founder of Chicago. 11 In 1795, a series of conflicts between Americans and Native Americans ended with the Treaty of Greenville. Native groups gave up land around the Great Lakes, including Chicago. Eight years later, the U.S. government build Fort Dearborn there. In 1812, disputes over access to the Great Lakes pushed Great Britain and the United States into another conflict. In one of the first actions of the War of 1812 (which lasted until 1815), U.S. leaders ordered an evacuation of Fort Dearborn, one of its western-most posts. The Potawatomi, the dominant Native Americans remaining in the area, attacked as the American soldiers and militia moved out. The Potawatomi then burnt the fort to the ground. It was rebuilt in 1816. 12 Although Native Americans had lived in the area for centuries, there was little they could do as Americans began heading westward in large numbers. The Illinois Territory, with Chicago as part of it, was carved from the Northwest Territory in 1809. On December 3, 1818, Illinois joined the Union as the 21st state. In 1833, the Potawatomi gave up what was left of their land in the area in the Treaty of Chicago. 13 That same year, the town of Chicago was incorporated with 200 people. It grew quickly after that. Twenty-five years later, more than 93,000 people lived in Chicago. By the turn of the century, about 1 million people called Chicago home.

Part A Which statement best reflects one of the passage's central ideas? Throughout history, people have sought to inhabit the Chicago region for its beneficial characteristics. Part B Which two details best support the answer to Part A? "Joliet noted how ideal the place was for agriculture. He also realized that the site provided access to the entire interior of the continent." (paragraph 3). "White settlers began arriving, and native groups in the area once again found themselves living on land coveted by others." (paragraph 7).

Part A Which statement best expresses a theme from passage? Part B Select the details that best support the answer to Part A.

Part A- A good reputation can be more important than a good character. part b- "The emperor faced a dilemma: if he dismissed his other advisers' proposal, they would spread rumors of his weakness..." (paragraph 7)

Part A What is the meaning of the word tarnished as it is used in paragraph 5? Part B Which two details from the passage best help the reader understand the meaning of the word tarnished?

Part a -damaged Part b- "...and plotted secretly for his downfall." (paragraph 5) "...voicing doubts about the beauty of Tansen's music." (paragraph 6)

Part A At the beginning of the passage, what does the author reveal about the main character that most impacts meaning? Part B Which two details from paragraphs 1 and 2 best support the answer to Part A?

Part a- The main character is nervous about his assignment. Part b- "...had he not been so catlike and tense." "...automatically, instantly, he had reined in and fetched the carbine halfway to his shoulder."

Part A Which of the following best states a theme of the poem? Part B Which line most contributes to the emergence of the theme in Part A?

Part a- War can leave emotional scars. part b- "And not disfigured visibly..." (line 7)

Select the four details from the text that together best create an objective summary of the text and place them in the correct order in the boxes below.

1. Before the 1600s, Chicago was once inhabited by multiple Native American tribes. 2. French fur traders and Iroquois fought over the land around present-day Chicago for 50 years. 3. Jean Baptiste du Sable eventually settled present-day Chicago as an important location between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River. 4. By 1900, more than 1 million people lived in Chicago.