Semester 1 Exam

Numbers 1-5 are signed with the palm facing outward, while 6-10 are signed with the palm facing inward.

False

Since its inception, sign language has been widely accepted as a "real" language.

False

The signs for "mother" and "daughter" both involve touching the forehead.

False

What motion is performed while signing numbers 16, 17, 18, and 19?

Flicking or twisting your wrist back and forth.

Where should your passive hand be if it is not "participating" in a sign?

Formed into one of the natural handshapes.

If you take the sign for "H" and bring your middle finger back in so it is not extended outward, which letter sign have you just created?

G

What was the first institution to confer college degrees to deaf individuals?

Gallaudet College

Which of the below aspects of sign distinguishes how you sign numbers 1-5 from how you sign numbers 6-10?

Hand orientation.

What is one way that ASL differs from spoken or written English?

It has different word order and grammar than spoken or written English.

In comparison to other sign languages around the world, why is ASL considered a sophisticated and mature form of sign language?

It has its own structure, grammar, and word order.

Which is true about the sign for "single/alone?"

It is made using the number 1.

Sign language speakers communicate using the movement of their fingers and hands, as well as their gestures and facial expressions.

True

Signing faster or slower can change the meaning of what you are communicating.

True

The more you know about Deaf history, the better you can understand Deaf culture today.

True

The only difference between the sign for the letter "V" and the sign for the number "2" is that the sign for the letter "V" is created with the palm facing outward and the sign for the number "2" is created with the palm facing inward.

True

The sign for "I" and "J" are the same EXCEPT your hand moves when signing the letter "J".

True

The sign for "married" works for both opposite-sex and same-sex couples.

True

The sign for "separated" starts with hands touching at the knuckles.

True

The signs for "grandmother" and "grandfather" are simply the signs for "mother" and "father" with an extra movement to indicate that they are "one generation back."

True

The signs for the words "chat" and "fine" both use the "5" handshape.

True

The term "deaf" (or "Deaf") can be used both as a condition and as a proper noun.

True

The type of sign language used in America is different from the type of sign language used in Great Britain, even though both countries are English-speaking.

True

What is the difference between the sign for "kindergarten" and the sign for "elementary"?

"Kindergarten" uses a "K" letter and "Elementary" uses an "E" letter.

Most Deaf children are born into Deaf families.

False

Every word in the English language has a corresponding sign in ASL.

False

In ASL, the correct order to sign the words "Hi, how are you?" is "Hi, you how is?"

False

Most Deaf people have no functional use of their vocal cords at all.

False

Most Deaf people prefer to be referred to as "Hard of Hearing" rather than "Deaf."

False

In order to sign "uncle," one must first make a "U" handshape and then move in two circles, just to the right of the face.

False

Key parts of most signs include handshape, the movement of your hand or arm, and posture.

False

Which letter does the sign for "sorry" incorporate?

A

Who was William "Dummy" Hoy?

A Deaf baseball player.

You are attending a Deaf event and have just spotted your friend Shelly, who you are very happy to see! In keeping with the common practice in the Deaf community, how would you greet her?

A hug.

Which is an example of personification?

Adding the "person" ending to a sign to indicate that it is a profession.

Which letter in the American Manual Alphabet least resembles what the letter looks like when written on paper?

B

Which of the following is NOT a cause of hearing loss?

Damage to outer part of ear.

Which term is considered derogatory?

Deaf-mute

Which of the following items would a Deaf person most likely need to modify in their home?

Doorbell

When learning ASL, what is taught first?

English alphabet

Right before your test on the ASL signs for family member relationships, your friend leans over and asks you to remind her what the sign for "father" is. How do you respond?

Extend all fingers in a "5" shape and place the thumb on your forehead.

You are signing the number "22." What is the first thing you should do?

Extend your pointer and middle finger to make the sign for "2".

What types of jobs were Deaf people frequently hired for during the wars?

Factory.

ASL has its own full written language separate from English.

False

Common-law marriage involves a religious ceremony.

False

Which of the following scenarios is an example of a couple that falls under "common-law"?

Jody and Mike, who agreed to refer to each other as husband and wife even though they did not have a civil or religious marriage ceremony.

One sign that we learned in this unit begins with the sign for another word we also learned. What are these two words?

Learn and student.

You are signing the phrase "hard of hearing." What is the first thing you should do?

Make the "H" letter shape with one hand.

Samantha contracted a severe ear infection shortly after birth and has been Deaf most of her life. She grew up learning ASL and uses it as her predominate form of communication. Which of the following terms most accurately describes Samantha?

Manual Deaf

Which word is signed by holding both palms out in front of you and "seesawing" them alternately up and down?

Maybe.

Which of the following is NOT true about the Deaf community?

Most people in the Deaf community understand their deafness to be a disability and have the expectation that those outside of the community will understand it that way as well.

You are signing the word "language," and right now, both of your hands are in the "L" letter shape and are touching at the thumb. What is the next thing you should do?

Move the hands apart while maintaining the "L" shape in each hand.

Which types of words may not have corresponding ASL signs and may cause you to have to fingerspell in order to communicate?

Names, places, and specific terminology.

Which of the following was NOT a feature of the "renaissance" of Deaf life that occurred in 1964, after oralism was deemed a failure for Deaf education?

Recognition of the importance of marriage between Deaf and non-Deaf spouses.

In ASL, whole body posture is often used to convey meaning. For instance, when a person is talking about exhaustion, what might they do with their body?

Sag their entire body.

Most things are communicated directly (rather than being "sugar-coated") in ASL conversations.

True

What is the difference between sign language and ASL?

Sign language is any system of communication using visual gestures and signs, whereas ASL is a specific visual language used by Deaf people in the United States and parts of Canada that uses handshape, movement, and facial expression to convey meaning.

While practicing the sign for "communicate," instead of making her hands into the "C" handshape and moving them back and forth toward her mouth, Amy has put her hands into a "1" handshape and is moving them in circles toward her face. What sign has she made instead of "communicate"?

Sign/talk in ASL.

Which of the following is an example of fingerspelling?

Signing the letters A-P-P-L-E when talking about an apple.

When we say, "how are you?" in English, the expected answer is "fine!". But in Deaf culture, people are more apt to express how they really feel, not just be polite. What is a more typical response to "how are you?"

So-so.

Which of the following two ASL signs incorporate the same letter into their sign?

Sorry and Aunt

In what way is speechreading different from sign language?

Speechreading teaches students to watch a speaker's lips, facial expressions, and gestures to understand speech.

Which of the following is the proper way to get someone's attention in the Deaf community?

Tap them on the shoulder.

Which of the following is NOT considered rude in Deaf culture?

Tapping on the shoulder of a person when trying to get their attention.

The early history of ASL began in which part of the United States?

The Northeast

What is a common belief in Deaf culture?

The reaction against the idea of deafness as a disability.

How does the sign for 11 differ from the sign for 44?

The sign for 11 uses one hand and a repeated sign on that hand but the sign for 44 uses a bouncing motion.

How do the signs for numbers 1-5 differ from the signs for 6-10?

The signs for 1-5 are made with the palm facing inward, while the signs for 6-10 are made with the palm facing outward.

What is the difference between the signs for the numbers 1-9 and the signs for the numbers 10-19?

The signs for numbers for 1-9 are made using handshape only but the numbers for 10-20 are made using handshape and movement.

Which of the following does "handshape" refer to?

The specific position of your hand and fingers used in producing a sign in a signed language.

Why did Martha's Vineyard Sign Language develop?

There was a hereditary form of deafness in the community.

What do the signs for "in-law," "nephew" and "divorced" have in common?

They all incorporate a letter shape into the sign somehow.

How are the signs for "mother" and "grandmother" similar?

They both start with the thumb placed on the chin.

Why do signs that refer to males involve touching the forehead?

This practice is based on how men used to wear caps.

Why do signs that refer to females involve touching the chin?

This practice is based on the fact that women used to wear bonnets.

he ASL sign for the number ten resembles which common hand gesture?

Thumbs up.

ASL has a different sentence structure than spoken English.

True

Before there was an accepted standard sign language, members of the Deaf community began to develop their own signs at home in order to communicate with one another.

True

Genetic conditions are sometimes passed down through family.

True

If you have not yet learned the sign for a particular word or concept, you can still communicate that word by fingerspelling it.

True

In ASL, orientation refers to the direction your palm is facing when signing.

True

In the course of a conversation with your Deaf friend Adam, his sign language interpreter acted outside of his professional boundaries when he tried to clarify what Adam was saying by adding his own opinion when he spoke in English to you.

True

You have just gotten your grade for your practical exam on color words in ASL during which you had to sign various color words in front of your teacher. You could receive two possible points for each word: one for the correct handshape and one for the correct movement. Next to the word "green" you see that you got 1 out of 2 possible points. You know that you created the correct handshape, so you must have gotten the movement wrong. What should the movement have looked like to get full credit on that question?

Twist hand from the wrist.

What is the last step in creating the sign for "niece"?

Twist your hand forward.

You are taking a public speaking class and have just received feedback on your midterm speech presentation. Your teacher suggested that in order to make your speech more impactful, you may want to modulate your speech more. What is she asking you to do?

Vary the tone, strength, and pitch of your vocal sounds.

What helps members of the Deaf community to see the details and nuances of sign language when working with an interpreter?

When all visual distractions have been removed from the area.

When do we refrain from capitalizing the "d" at the beginning of "deaf"?

When referring to deafness as a physical condition.

What is the difference between the sign for the letter "M" and the sign for the letter "N"?

Which fingers are draped over the thumb.

What is an acceptable way to get someone's attention in the Deaf community without touching them?

With a little wave.

Which of the following describes the correct way to sign the number 9?

With palm facing outward, extend all fingers and then touch the tips of your pointer finger and thumb together.

Which of the following describes the correct way to sign the number 7?

With palm facing outward, extend all fingers and then touch the tips of your ring/fourth finger and thumb together.

You are speaking with your friend Oscar, who is Deaf, through his interpreter. About ten minutes into the conversation, you notice that he has become standoffish. He is crossing his arms, looking away, and is displaying other non-verbal cues that he is upset with you. Knowing what you know about communicating with a Deaf person, what is the most probable cause of his frustration with you?

You have addressed all questions to his interpreter, rather than to Oscar.