Study Guide

Read the passage. The woman in the last apartment down the hall was somewhat of a misanthrope, according to most people in Keira's building. She almost never came out of her apartment, but when she did, she answered hellos with a glare, as if she were being insulted. Keira was sure that she could find a way to get to know the woman, if only she could figure out how to invite herself into the woman's apartment to chat. Based on inferences, what is the most likely meaning of misanthrope?

a person who hates or mistrusts other people

Read the passage from an argumentative essay. (1) Bernie Sanders has argued that no one should have to pay tuition to go to college. (2) This will only increase the tax burden on the middle classes. To improve the relationship between ideas, the writer should revise sentence 2 by

adding "however" to the beginning of the sentence.

Read the sentence. The shopkeeper smiled at David as if he were just telling a joke, but his disparaging comments made David feel insulted and embarrassed. Based on context clues in the sentence, what is the most likely meaning of disparaging? Select two options.

belittling uncomplimentary

Select the verb or verb phrase that is the best option to replace the verb watched in the following sentence. Kimo watched the waves, hoping to see the whale breach again.

gazed at

Read the excerpt from chapter 10 of Animal Farm. But the luxuries of which Snowball had once taught the animals to dream, the stalls with electric light and hot and cold water, and the three-day week, were no longer talked about. Napoleon had denounced such ideas as contrary to the spirit of Animalism. The truest happiness, he said, lay in working hard and living frugally. How does Orwell use satire in this excerpt?

to show that the changes made are the opposite of what was promised

How can a causal relationship affect the plot of a story?

It can create tension, mystery, and surprise.

Which elements does strong narrative writing always contain? Check all that apply.

a connection to an outline a clear point of view a description of events

Read the excerpt from "The Three Questions" by Leo Tolstoy. All the answers being different, the King agreed with none of them, and gave the reward to none. But still wishing to find the right answers to his questions, he decided to consult a hermit, widely renowned for his wisdom. The hermit lived in a wood which he never quitted, and he received none but common folk. So the King put on simple clothes, and before reaching the hermit's cell dismounted from his horse, and, leaving his body-guard behind, went on alone. When the King approached, the hermit was digging the ground in front of his hut. Seeing the King, he greeted him and went on digging. The hermit was frail and weak, and each time he stuck his spade into the ground and turned a little earth, he breathed heavily. The King went up to him and said: "I have come to you, wise hermit, to ask you to answer three questions: How can I learn to do the right thing at the right time? Who are the people I most need, and to whom should I, therefore, pay more attention than to the rest? And, what affairs are the most important, and need my first attention?" The hermit listened to the King, but answered nothing. He just spat on his hand and recommenced digging. "You are tired," said the King, "let me take the spade and work awhile for you." Which paragraphs from the excerpt best support the conclusion that the author's primary purpose is to teach a lesson? Select two options.

"All the answers being different, the King agreed with none of them, and gave the reward to none. But still wishing to find the right answers to his questions, he decided to consult a hermit, widely renowned for his wisdom." "The King went up to him and said: 'I have come to you, wise hermit, to ask you to answer three questions: How can I learn to do the right thing at the right time? Who are the people I most need, and to whom should I, therefore, pay more attention than to the rest? And, what affairs are the most important, and need my first attention?'"

Read the excerpt from chapter 10 of Animal Farm. But the luxuries of which Snowball had once taught the animals to dream, the stalls with electric light and hot and cold water, and the three-day week, were no longer talked about. Napoleon had denounced such ideas as contrary to the spirit of Animalism. The truest happiness, he said, lay in working hard and living frugally. How does Orwell use irony in this excerpt?

The text shows that the animals expected a different outcome than the reality they are facing.

Read the excerpt from act 4, scene 3, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. BRUTUS. O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs. CASSIUS. Of your philosophy you make no use,If you give place to accidental evils. BRUTUS. No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead. CASSIUS. Ha! Portia? BRUTUS. She is dead. CASSIUS. How scaped I killing when I crossed you so?O insupportable and touching loss!Upon what sickness? BRUTUS. Impatient of my absence,And grief that young Octavius with Mark AntonyHave made themselves so strong—for with her deathThat tidings came. With this, she fell distraught,And, her attendants absent, swallowed fire. CASSIUS. And died so? BRUTUS. Even so. CASSIUS. O ye immortal gods! [Enter LUCIUS, with wine and taper] BRUTUS. Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius. CASSIUS. My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love. Which evidence from the text supports the conclusion that Cassius and Brutus have reconciled? Select two options.

"How scaped I killing when I crossed you so? / O insupportable and touching loss!" "My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge. / Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup"

Read the excerpt from "The Crab That Played with the Sea." And the Rat said, 'I am too busy biting through the line that this old Fisherman is spinning. I do not play with the Sea.' And he went on biting the line. Then the little girl-daughter put up her little soft brown arms with the beautiful white shell bracelets and said, 'O Eldest Magician! when my father here talked to you at the Very Beginning, and I leaned upon his shoulder while the beasts were being taught their plays, one beast went away naughtily into the Sea before you had taught him his play. And the Eldest Magician said, 'How wise are little children who see and are silent! What was the beast like?' Which quotation from the passage is the best example of imagery?

"Then the little girl-daughter put up her little soft brown arms with the beautiful white shell bracelets."

Read these sentences from Paco's evaluation of Dan DeLuca's argument in the article "Dylan's Nobel Prize Settles Debate: Rock Lyrics Are Poetry." (1) In addition to quoting comments about Dylan's contributions to literature, DeLuca examines Dylan's writing and its influences. (2) Despite a somewhat confusing presentation of evidence, in the end, DeLuca's argument is convincing. (3) In his article, DeLuca attempts to come to grips with the decades-old question "Are rock lyrics poetry?" (4) He claims that this question has been answered with a resounding yes by the Nobel committee, who awarded their literary prize to singer-songwriter Bob Dylan for his collective literary works, most of which are song lyrics. In which order should the sentences appear?

3 - 4 - 1 - 2

Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 3, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and the background information on the allusion it contains. CASSIUS. And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?Poor man, I know he would not be a wolfBut that he sees the Romans are but sheep.He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.Those that with haste will make a mighty fireBegin it with weak straws. What trash is Rome?What rubbish, and what offal? when it servesFor the base matter to illuminateSo vile a thing as Caesar! But, O grief,Where hast thou led me? I perhaps speak thisBefore a willing bondman: then I knowMy answer must be made. But I am armedAnd dangers are to me indifferent. CASCA. You speak to Casca, and to such a manThat is no fleering tell-tale. Hold, my hand.Be factious for redress of all these griefsAnd I will set this foot of mine as farAs who goes farthest. CASSIUS. There's a bargain made.Now know you, Casca, I have moved alreadySome certain of the noblest-minded RomansTo undergo with me an enterpriseOf honourable dangerous consequence.And I do know by this, they stay for meIn Pompey's Porch. For now this fearful nightThere is no stir or walking in the streets;And the complexion of the elementIn favour's like the work we have in hand,Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible. Background information: Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, known in English as Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and political leader. Together with Caesar and Crassus, Pompey ruled as a member of the first Roman triumvirate. As a leader, Pompey was a capable administer and worked to help Rome grow and prosper. Among other projects, he built a large amphitheater in Rome. This amphitheater was named after him, and its annex became known as Pompey's Porch. During this time, Pompey married Caesar's daughter, Julia. After her death, however, Pompey and Caesar began to grow apart, and within a few years, Pompey sided with the senate against Caesar. War followed. In 48 BCE, Pompey's armies were defeated, and he was murdered by former allies who were afraid of Caesar's power. Which statement best explains the meaning added by the allusion in this excerpt?

Alluding to Pompey invokes the history of his opposition to Caesar, showing that the conspirators in the play are part of a longstanding battle against a tyrant.

Read the excerpt from "A Genetics of Justice" by Julia Alvarez. When the novel came out, I decided to go ahead and risk her anger. I inscribed a copy to both Mami and Papi with a note: "Thank you for having instilled in me through your sufferings a desire for freedom and justice." I mailed the package and—what I seldom do except in those moments when I need all the help I can get—I made the sign of the cross as I exited the post office. Days later, my mother called me up to tell me she had just finished the novel. "You put me back in those days. It was like I was reliving it all," she said sobbing. "I don't care what happens to us! I'm so proud of you for writing this book." I stood in my kitchen in Vermont, stunned, relishing her praise and listening to her cry. It was one of the few times since l had learned to talk that I did not try to answer my mother back. If there is such a thing as genetic justice that courses through the generations and finally manifests itself full-blown in a family moment, there it was. How does the author develop the central idea across these paragraphs?

Alvarez explains how her mother's reaction to her novel provoked a rare moment of peace between them.

Read the excerpt from act 5, scene 1, of Julius Caesar. ANTONY. Villains, you did not so, when your vile daggersHacked one another in the sides of Caesar:You showed your teeth like apes, and fawned like hounds,And bowed like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet,Whilst damnèd Casca, like a cur, behind,Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers! Cur and dog mean the same thing denotatively. Which statement best explains why Antony uses the word cur rather than dog to describe Casca?

Antony has contempt for Casca and is insulting him.

Read the passage from \Animal Farm. Boxer could not get beyond the letter D. He would trace out A, B, C, D, in the dust with his great hoof, and then would stand staring at the letters with his ears back, sometimes shaking his forelock, trying with all his might to remember what came next and never succeeding. On several occasions, indeed, he did learn E, F, G, H, but by the time he knew them, it was always discovered that he had forgotten A, B, C, and D. Finally he decided to be content with the first four letters, and used to write them out once or twice every day to refresh his memory. What is the central idea of this passage?

Boxer is unable to learn the alphabet.

Read the two excerpts from act 3, scene 2, of Julius Caesar. SECOND PLEBEIAN. Peace, silence! Brutus speaks. FIRST PLEBEIAN. Peace, ho! BRUTUS. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,And, for my sake, stay here with Antony.Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speechTending to Caesar's glories, which Mark Antony,By our permission, is allowed to make.I do entreat you, not a man departSave I alone till Antony have spoke.[Exit] SECOND PLEBEIAN. Most noble Caesar! We'll revenge his death. THIRD PLEBEIAN. O royal Caesar! ANTONY. Hear me with patience. ALL. Peace, ho! ANTONY. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,His private arbours, and new-planted orchards,On this side Tiber. He hath left them you,And to your heirs for ever—common pleasuresTo walk abroad and recreate yourselves.Here was a Caesar. When comes such another? Which statement best compares the last remarks in the two monologues?

Brutus creates closure, whereas Antony stimulates anger.

Which statement gives evidence for Brutus's tragic flaw in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?

Brutus decides to join the conspirators to murder Caesar.

Read the excerpt from act 2, scene 1, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. BRUTUS. It must be by his death: and for my partI know no personal cause to spurn at himBut for the general. He would be crowned:How that might change his nature, there's the question.It is the bright day that brings forth the adder,And that craves wary walking. Crown him that,And then I grant we put a sting in himThat at his will he may do danger with.Th' abuse of greatness is when it disjoinsRemorse from power. And to speak truth of Caesar,I have not known when his affections swayedMore than his reason. But 'tis a common proofThat lowliness is young ambition's ladder,Whereto the climber-upward turns his face;But when he once attains the upmost round,He then unto the ladder turns his back,Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degreesBy which he did ascend. So Caesar may.Then lest he may, prevent. And since the quarrelWill bear no colour for the thing he is,Fashion it thus: that what he is, augmented,Would run to these and these extremities;And therefore think him as a serpent's eggWhich, hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous,And kill him in the shell. What moral dilemma does this excerpt express?

Brutus must decide whether to help in the plot to kill Caesar.

Read the excerpt from act 2, scene 1, of Julius Caesar. CASCA. You shall confess that you are both deceived.Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises,Which is a great way growing on the south,Weighing the youthful season of the year.Some two months hence up higher toward the northHe first presents his fire, and the high eastStands, as the Capitol, directly here. BRUTUS. Give me your hands all over, one by one. CASSIUS. And let us swear our resolution. BRUTUS. No, not an oath. If not the face of men,The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse—If these be motives weak, break off betimes,And every man hence to his idle bed. What effect does Cassius's request to swear a resolution have on Brutus?

Brutus says that swearing a resolution is not necessary to fight tyranny.

Read the excerpt from Julius Caesar, act 1, scene 2. CAESAR. Calpurnia! CASCA. Peace, ho! Caesar speaks. CAESAR. Calpurnia! CALPURNIA. Here, my lord. CAESAR. Stand you directly in Antonio's way5When he doth run his course.—Antonio! ANTONY. Caesar, my lord? CAESAR. Forget not, in your speed, Antonio,To touch Calpurnia, for our elders sayThe barren, touchèd in this holy chase,10Shake off their sterile curse. ANTONY. I shall remember:When Caesar says "do this," it is performed. Which conclusions does this excerpt best support? Select two options.

Caesar and his wife do not have children. Antony does whatever Caesar says.

Read the passage from chapter 1 of Animal Farm. Old Major cleared his throat and began to sing. As he had said, his voice was hoarse, but he sang well enough, and it was a stirring tune, something between 'Clementine' and 'La Cucaracha.' . . . . The singing of this song threw the animals into the wildest excitement. Almost before Major had reached the end, they had begun singing it for themselves. Even the stupidest of them had already picked up the tune and a few of the words, and as for the clever ones, such as the pigs and dogs, they had the entire song by heart within a few minutes. And then, after a few preliminary tries, the whole farm burst out into "Beasts of England" in tremendous unison. The cows lowed it, the dogs whined it, the sheep bleated it, the horses whinnied it, the ducks quacked it. They were so delighted with the song that they sang it right through five times in succession, and might have continued singing it all night if they had not been interrupted. How does Orwell use satire to support his purpose in this passage?

He uses parody to imitate communist propaganda techniques.

Read the excerpt from "A Genetics of Justice" by Julia Alvarez. My mother must have been intrigued. She knew nothing of the horrid crimes of the dictatorship, for her parents were afraid to say anything—even to their own children—against the regime. So, as a young girl, my mother must have thought of El Jefe as a kind of movie star. She must have wanted to meet the great man. What is the central idea in this paragraph?

Her mother's image of the great man did not match reality.

Read the two excerpts from act 2, scene 1, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Excerpt 1: [BRUTUS.] Since Cassius first did whet me against CaesarI have not slept.Between the acting of a dreadful thingAnd the first motion, all the interim isLike a phantasma or a hideous dream.The genius and the mortal instrumentsAre then in council, and the state of man,Like to a little kingdom, suffers thenThe nature of an insurrection. Excerpt 2: BRUTUS. Kneel not, gentle Portia. . . . You are my true and honourable wife,As dear to me as are the ruddy dropsThat visit my sad heart. PORTIA. If this were true, then should I know this secret. . . .Tell me your counsels; I will not disclose 'em.I have made strong proof of my constancy,Giving myself a voluntary woundHere in the thigh. Can I bear that with patience,And not my husband's secrets? How do Brutus's moral dilemmas in each excerpt compare?

In both excerpts, Brutus is concealing a significant secret from a person he loves.

Read the excerpt from act 4, scene 3, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. [BRUTUS.] Messala, I have here receivèd letters,That young Octavius and Mark AntonyCome down upon us with a mighty power,Bending their expedition toward Philippi. MESSALA. Myself have letters of the selfsame tenor. BRUTUS. With what addition? MESSALA. That by proscription and bills of outlawry,Octavius, Antony, and LepidusHave put to death an hundred senators. BRUTUS. Therein our letters do not well agree.Mine speak of seventy senators that diedBy their proscriptions, Cicero being one. CASSIUS. Cicero one! MESSALA. Ay, Cicero is dead,And by that order of proscription. How does this interaction affect the plot?

It informs the audience about events that took place off stage.

Read the sentence. Gregor watched, assessing how Sasha was reacting to his news. Which statement best explains how the underlined clause conveys meaning?

It is a noun clause indicating what Gregor was doing.

Read the sentence. Sami especially enjoyed the brownies, which were chewy, chocolatey, and jam-packed with crunchy walnuts. Which statement best explains how the underlined clause conveys meaning?

It is a relative clause describing the qualities of the brownies.

Read Ahmad's argument in favor of changing the minimum driving age from 16 to 15. Every year, millions of teenagers look forward to the freedom of earning their driver's license. It has been proven over time that teenagers are fully responsible by the time they are 15, and making teens wait until they are 16 to obtain a driver's license is wrong. Many teenagers play sports, work jobs, and have an active social life when they are 15. It would be beneficial to the functioning of society if these people were able to independently drive themselves around. Parents agree, too. Most people believe that the streets would be safer if the minimum driving age were reduced to 15. What is the best evaluation of Ahmad's reasoning?

It is illogical because it relies on faulty reasoning.

Read the passage from Animal Farm. "Boxer!" cried Clover in a terrible voice. "Boxer! Get out! Get out quickly! They're taking you to your death!" All the animals took up the cry of "Get out, Boxer, get out!" But the van was already gathering speed and drawing away from them. It was uncertain whether Boxer had understood what Clover had said. But a moment later his face disappeared from the window and there was the sound of a tremendous drumming of hoofs inside the van. He was trying to kick his way out. The time had been when a few kicks from Boxer's hoofs would have smashed the van to matchwood. But alas! his strength had left him; and in a few moments the sound of drumming hoofs grew fainter and died away. In desperation the animals began appealing to the two horses which drew the van to stop. "Comrades, comrades!" they shouted. "Don't take your own brother to his death!" But the stupid brutes, too ignorant to realise what was happening, merely set back their ears and quickened their pace. Boxer's face did not reappear at the window. Too late, someone thought of racing ahead and shutting the five-barred gate; but in another moment the van was through it and rapidly disappearing down the road. Boxer was never seen again. Which statement best expresses the theme of the passage?

It is important to recognize a dictatorship before it is too late.

Read the excerpt from Animal Farm. As winter drew on, Mollie became more and more troublesome. She was late for work every morning and excused herself by saying that she had overslept, and she complained of mysterious pains, although her appetite was excellent. On every kind of pretext she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool, where she would stand foolishly gazing at her own reflection in the water. But there were also rumours of something more serious. One day, as Mollie strolled blithely into the yard, flirting her long tail and chewing at a stalk of hay, Clover took her aside. "Mollie," she said, "I have something very serious to say to you. This morning I saw you looking over the hedge that divides Animal Farm from Foxwood. One of Mr. Pilkington's men was standing on the other side of the hedge. And—I was a long way away, but I am almost certain I saw this—he was talking to you and you were allowing him to stroke your nose. What does that mean, Mollie?" "He didn't! I wasn't! It isn't true!" cried Mollie, beginning to prance about and paw the ground. "Mollie! Look me in the face. Do you give me your word of honour that that man was not stroking your nose?" "It isn't true!" repeated Mollie, but she could not look Clover in the face, and the next moment she took to her heels and galloped away into the field. A thought struck Clover. Without saying anything to the others, she went to Mollie's stall and turned over the straw with her hoof. Hidden under the straw was a little pile of lump sugar and several bunches of ribbon of different colours. Three days later Mollie disappeared. How does the conflict between Mollie and Clover propel the plot forward?

It results in Mollie choosing to leave the farm.

Read the excerpt from Julius Caesar, act 1, scene 2. SOOTHSAYER. Caesar!15 CAESAR. Ha! who calls? CASCA. Bid every noise be still. Peace yet again. CAESAR. Who is it in the press that calls on me?I hear a tongue shriller than all the musicCry "Caesar!" Speak. Caesar is turned to hear.20 SOOTHSAYER. Beware the ides of March. CAESAR. What man is that? BRUTUS. A soothsayer bids you beware the ides ofMarch. CAESAR. Set him before me; let me see his face. CASSIUS. Fellow, come from the throng; look upon25Caesar. CAESAR. What say'st thou to me now? Speak once again. SOOTHSAYER. Beware the ides of March. CAESAR. He is a dreamer. Let us leave him. Pass! How does this scene most contribute to the plot?

It reveals that Caesar may be in danger.

Read the excerpt from act 5, scene 1, of Julius Caesar. MESSENGER. Prepare you, generals.The enemy comes on in gallant show.Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,And something to be done immediately. ANTONY. Octavius, lead your battle softly on,Upon the left hand of the even field. OCTAVIUS. Upon the right hand, I; keep thou the left. How does the use of the word gallant add to the meaning of the sentence?

It suggests that the enemy is courageous.

Read the passage from Animal Farm. In April, Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic, and it became necessary to elect a President. There was only one candidate, Napoleon, who was elected unanimously. On the same day it was given out that fresh documents had been discovered which revealed further details about Snowball's complicity with Jones. It now appeared that Snowball had not, as the animals had previously imagined, merely attempted to lose the Battle of the Cowshed by means of a stratagem, but had been openly fighting on Jones's side. In fact, it was he who had actually been the leader of the human forces, and had charged into battle with the words "Long live Humanity!" on his lips. The wounds on Snowball's back, which a few of the animals still remembered to have seen, had been inflicted by Napoleon's teeth. How does this passage demonstrate the use of propaganda?

It uses scapegoating by blaming Snowball for actions he is not responsible for.

Read the passage from Animal Farm. But if there were hardships to be borne, they were partly offset by the fact that life nowadays had a greater dignity than it had had before. There were more songs, more speeches, more processions. Napoleon had commanded that once a week there should be held something called a Spontaneous Demonstration, the object of which was to celebrate the struggles and triumphs of Animal Farm. At the appointed time the animals would leave their work and march round the precincts of the farm in military formation, with the pigs leading, then the horses, then the cows, then the sheep, and then the poultry. The dogs flanked the procession and at the head of all marched Napoleon's black cockerel. Boxer and Clover always carried between them a green banner marked with the hoof and the horn and the caption, "Long live Comrade Napoleon!" Afterwards there were recitations of poems composed in Napoleon's honour, and a speech by Squealer giving particulars of the latest increases in the production of foodstuffs, and on occasion a shot was fired from the gun. The sheep were the greatest devotees of the Spontaneous Demonstration, and if anyone complained (as a few animals sometimes did, when no pigs or dogs were near) that they wasted time and meant a lot of standing about in the cold, the sheep were sure to silence him with a tremendous bleating of "Four legs good, two legs bad!" But by and large the animals enjoyed these celebrations. They found it comforting to be reminded that, after all, they were truly their own masters and that the work they did was for their own benefit. So that, what with the songs, the processions, Squealer's lists of figures, the thunder of the gun, the crowing of the cockerel, and the fluttering of the flag, they were able to forget that their bellies were empty, at least part of the time. How does the use of repetition support the theme in this passage?

Loyalty can be instilled by regularly reminding people why their leader is great.

Read the passage from act 5, scene 3, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. [TITINIUS.] Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?Did I not meet thy friends, and did not theyPut on my brows this wreath of victory,And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts?Alas, thou hast misconstrued everything!But hold thee, take this garland on thy brow.Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and IWill do his bidding. Brutus, come apace,And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.By your leave, gods,—this is a Roman's part:Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart. Which theme is best expressed by the text evidence in the excerpt?

Loyalty to one's superior is more important than life.

Read the excerpt from act 5, scene 1, of Julius Caesar. CASSIUS. Messala. MESSALA, standing forth. What says my general? CASSIUS. Messala,This is my birthday; as this very dayWas Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala.Be thou my witness that, against my will,As Pompey was, am I compelled to setUpon one battle all our liberties.You know that I held Epicurus strongAnd his opinion. Now I change my mind,And partly credit things that do presage.Coming from Sardis, on our former ensignTwo mighty eagles fell, and there they perched,Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;Who to Philippi here consorted us.This morning are they fled away and gone,And in their steads do ravens, crows, and kitesFly o'er our heads and downward look on us,As we were sickly prey. Their shadows seemA canopy most fatal, under whichOur army lies ready to give up the ghost. MESSALA. Believe not so. CASSIUS. I but believe it partly;For I am fresh of spirit, and resolvedTo meet all perils very constantly. Which central idea does this speech about omens best support?

Maybe fate does control everything.

Read the two excerpts. "Remembering to Never Forget: Dominican Republic's 'Parsley Massacre'" by Mark Memmott: Seventy-five years ago, thousands of Haitians were murdered in the Dominican Republic by a brutal dictator. It was one of the 20th Century's least-remembered acts of genocide. As many as 20,000 people are thought to have been killed on orders given by Rafael Trujillo. But the "parsley massacre" went mostly unnoticed outside Hispaniola. Even there, many Dominicans never knew about what happened in early October 1937. They were kept in the dark by Trujillo's henchmen. "A Genetics of Justice" by Julia Alvarez: During my early teen years in this country, I knew very little about what was actually going on in the Dominican Republic. Whenever Ia situación on the island came up, my parents spoke in hushed voices. In December 1960, four months after our arrival, Time magazine reported the murder of the three Mirabal sisters, who along with their husbands had started the national underground Dominican Republic. My parents confiscated the magazine. To our many questions about what was going on, my mother always had the ready answer, "En boca cerrada no entran moscas." No flies fly into a closed mouth. Later, I found out that this very saying had been scratched on the lintel of the entrance of the SIM's torture center at La Cuarenta. Which statement best compares how the two authors address this topic?

Memmott presents facts about the dictatorship objectively, while Alvarez gives details about how it affected people.

Read the passage from chapter 1 of Animal Farm. "This single farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundreds of sheep—and all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining. Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word—Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever." Which historical figure or concept does Man symbolize?

Nicholas II

Karol is writing an argumentative essay for his high school paper. Read his claim. Classes should not begin before 9 a.m. Which statements provide the best evidence to support his claim? Select two options.

When teenagers get enough sleep, fewer use drugs or become depressed. Students who drive to school when tired are more likely to have accidents.

Read the excerpt from act 2, scene 1, of Julius Caesar. BRUTUS. Kneel not, gentle Portia. PORTIA. I should not need if you were gentle Brutus.Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus,Is it excepted I should know no secretsThat appertain to you? Am I your selfBut as it were in sort or limitation?To keep with you at meals, comfort your bed,And talk to you sometimes? Dwell I but in the suburbsOf your good pleasure? If it be no more,Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife. BRUTUS. You are my true and honourable wife,As dear to me as are the ruddy dropsThat visit my sad heart. PORTIA. If this were true, then should I know this secret.I grant I am a woman, but withalA woman that Lord Brutus took to wife.I grant I am a woman, but withalA woman well reputed, Cato's daughter.Think you I am no stronger than my sex,Being so fathered and so husbanded?Tell me your counsels; I will not disclose 'em.I have made strong proof of my constancy,Giving myself a voluntary woundHere in the thigh. Can I bear that with patience,And not my husband's secrets? BRUTUS. O ye gods,Render me worthy of this noble wife! What effect does Brutus's secrecy have on his wife, Portia? Select three options.

She feels like she is not really Brutus's wife if he cannot be honest with her. She thinks that Brutus is unfairly keeping her in the dark because she is a woman. She harms herself to prove to Brutus that she is strong enough to keep his secret.

Read the passage from Animal Farm. "Comrades!" cried Squealer, making little nervous skips, "a most terrible thing has been discovered. Snowball has sold himself to Frederick of Pinchfield Farm, who is even now plotting to attack us and take our farm away from us! Snowball is to act as his guide when the attack begins. But there is worse than that. We had thought that Snowball's rebellion was caused simply by his vanity and ambition. But we were wrong, comrades. Do you know what the real reason was? Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start! He was Jones's secret agent all the time. It has all been proved by documents which he left behind him and which we have only just discovered. To my mind this explains a great deal, comrades. Did we not see for ourselves how he attempted—fortunately without success—to get us defeated and destroyed at the Battle of the Cowshed?" The animals were stupefied. This was a wickedness far outdoing Snowball's destruction of the windmill. But it was some minutes before they could fully take it in. They all remembered, or thought they remembered, how they had seen Snowball charging ahead of them at the Battle of the Cowshed, how he had rallied and encouraged them at every turn, and how he had not paused for an instant even when the pellets from Jones's gun had wounded his back. At first it was a little difficult to see how this fitted in with his being on Jones's side. Even Boxer, who seldom asked questions, was puzzled. He lay down, tucked his fore hoofs beneath him, shut his eyes, and with a hard effort managed to formulate his thoughts. "I do not believe that," he said. "Snowball fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed. I saw him myself. Did we not give him 'Animal Hero, First Class,' immediately afterwards?" "That was our mistake, comrade. For we know now—it is all written down in the secret documents that we have found—that in reality he was trying to lure us to our doom." Which statement best explains the passage's connection to life in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin?

Squealer's false claim that he has documents to prove that Snowball is a traitor reflects lies used to control people.

Read the excerpt from "The Crab That Played with the Sea." 'Was that well done?' said the Eldest Magician. 'Yes,' said the Man. 'But now we must go back to Perak, and that is a weary way to paddle. If we had waited till Pau Amma had gone out of Pusat Tasek and come home, the water would have carried us there by itself.' 'You are lazy,' said the Eldest Magician. 'So your children shall be lazy. They shall be the laziest people in the world. They shall be called the Malazy—the lazy people;' and he held up his finger to the Moon and said, 'O Fisherman, here is the Man too lazy to row home. Pull his canoe home with your line, Fisherman.' 'No,' said the Man. 'If I am to be lazy all my days, let the Sea work for me twice a day for ever. That will save paddling.' And the Eldest Magician laughed and said, 'Payah kun' (That is right). And the Rat of the Moon stopped biting the line; and the Fisherman let his line down till it touched the Sea, and he pulled the whole deep Sea along, past the Island of Bintang, past Singapore, past Malacca, past Selangor, till the canoe whirled into the mouth of the Perak River again. 'Kun?' said the Fisherman of the Moon. 'Payah kun,' said the Eldest Magician. 'See now that you pull the Sea twice a day and twice a night for ever, so that the Malazy fishermen may be saved paddling. But be careful not to do it too hard, or I shall make a magic on you as I did to Pau Amma.' Then they all went up the Perak River and went to bed, Best Beloved. From that day to this the Moon has always pulled the sea up and down and made what we call the tides. Sometimes the Fisher of the Sea pulls a little too hard, and then we get spring tides; and sometimes he pulls a little too softly, and then we get what are called neap-tides; but nearly always he is careful, because of the Eldest Magician. Which conclusion about the Eldest Magician does this excerpt support?

The Eldest Magician has a good sense of humor.

Read the excerpt from "A Genetics of Justice" by Julia Alvarez. My father and mother were once again trapped in a police state. They laid low as best they could. Now that they had four young daughters, they could not take any chances. For a while, that spark which has almost cost my father his life and which he had lighted in my mother seemed to have burnt out. Periodically, Trujillo would demand a tribute, and they would acquiesce. A tax, a dummy vote, a portrait on the wall. To my father and other men in the country, the most humiliating of these tributes was the occasional parade in which women were made to march and turn their heads and acknowledge the great man as they passed the review stand. What is the central idea in this paragraph?

The author's parents tried to get by in the dictatorship, but felt humiliated by the tributes they were forced to participate in.

Read the excerpt from "The Story of a Warrior Queen." Then these cruel, wicked men laughed at her [Boadicea]. And because she was a woman and had, they thought, no one to protect her, they beat her with rods and were rude to her daughters. But although the Romans were clever, they sometimes did stupid things. They thought very little of their own women, and they did not understand that many of the women of Britain were as brave and as wise as the men, and quite as difficult to conquer. What qualities of the villain support the universal theme that women are as capable as men? Select two options.

The men oppose Boadicea without realizing how tough she is. The men's cruel attitude at home makes them misjudge Boadicea.

Which event is part of the rising action in "Little Snow White"?

The queen learns that she is not the fairest of them all.

Read the excerpt from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate!O anything, of nothing first create!O heavy lightness! serious vanity!Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!Still-waking sleep, that is not what it isThis love feel I, that feel no love in this. What does the speaker's use of oxymorons suggest about love?

The speaker is suggesting that love is confusing and encompasses everything all at once.

Read the sentence. Because of the high winds, the fire may spread rapidly, and we have been ordered to evacuate. What type of sentence is this?

a compound sentence

Read the passage from Animal Farm. "What is that gun firing for?" said Boxer. "To celebrate our victory!" cried Squealer. "What victory?" said Boxer. His knees were bleeding, he had lost a shoe and split his hoof, and a dozen pellets had lodged themselves in his hind leg. "What victory, comrade? Have we not driven the enemy off our soil—the sacred soil of Animal Farm?" "But they have destroyed the windmill. And we had worked on it for two years!" "What matter? We will build another windmill. We will build six windmills if we feel like it. You do not appreciate, comrade, the mighty thing that we have done. The enemy was in occupation of this very ground that we stand upon. And now—thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon—we have won every inch of it back again!" "Then we have won back what we had before," said Boxer. Which propaganda technique does this passage use?

glittering generalities

Read Mireille's rebuttal to the counterclaim that Bob Dylan's lyrics cannot be considered literature. Although it is true that Bob Dylan is primarily a songwriter, I consider his lyrics to be just as good as any poetry. Mireille's teacher has asked her to revise the underlined clause to make it logical and objective. Which is the best revision?

his lyrics use poetic devices such as allusion and metaphor

Read the passage from "Cinderella" by the Brothers Grimm. The girl went out to her mother's grave every day and wept, and she remained pious and good. When winter came the snow spread a white cloth over the grave, and when the spring sun had removed it again, the man took himself another wife. This wife brought two daughters into the house with her. They were beautiful, with fair faces, but evil and dark hearts. Times soon grew very bad for the poor stepchild. . . . "Why should that stupid goose sit in the parlor with us?" they said. "If she wants to eat bread, then she will have to earn it. Out with this kitchen maid!" They took her beautiful clothes away from her, dressed her in an old gray smock, and gave her wooden shoes. "Just look at the proud princess! How decked out she is!" they shouted and laughed as they led her into the kitchen. Now it happened that the king proclaimed a festival that was to last three days. All the beautiful young girls in the land were invited, so that his son could select a bride for himself. When the two stepsisters heard that they too had been invited, they were in high spirits. They called Cinderella, saying, "Comb our hair for us. Brush our shoes and fasten our buckles. We are going to the festival at the king's castle." Cinderella obeyed, but wept, because she too would have liked to go to the dance with them. She begged her stepmother to allow her to go. "You, Cinderella?" she said. "You, all covered with dust and dirt, and you want to go to the festival? You have neither clothes nor shoes, and yet you want to dance!" However, because Cinderella kept asking, the stepmother finally said, "I have scattered a bowl of lentils into the ashes for you. If you can pick them out again in two hours, then you may go with us." The stepmother is most likely motivated by

jealousy.

What kind of evidence should be presented in an argument? Select two options.

relevant sufficient

Read the excerpt from chapter 10 of Animal Farm. For once Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out to her what was written on the wall. There was nothing there now except a single Commandment. It ran: ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUALBUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS This commandment is an example of which type of satire?

reversal, because the commandment has changed in meaning

Read the example. A phone rang in the concert hall the orchestra stopped playing. What common sentence-construction error does this show?

run-on sentence

Read the passage. The headmistress of the boarding school was a buttoned-up, austere woman with a tightly wound, slate-gray bun at the top of her head and clunky black shoes on her feet. She made sure that our uniforms were complete at inspection every morning, and if one of us dared to wear a warmer pair of socks than the thin, oatmeal-colored ones we were issued, there would be trouble. What does the use of the word austere imply?

that the headmistress is not a kind person

After the high point of a story, what includes the resolution of the conflict?

the falling action

Read the passage from chapter 2 of Animal Farm. The stupidest questions of all were asked by Mollie, the white mare. The very first question she asked Snowball was: "Will there still be sugar after the Rebellion?" "No," said Snowball firmly. "We have no means of making sugar on this farm. Besides, you do not need sugar. You will have all the oats and hay you want." What does sugar symbolize in the story?

the luxuries enjoyed by the ruling and middle class

What can a writer describe about two characters to help develop their personalities?

their communication

Read the excerpt from "A Latina Judge's Voice" by Hon. Sonia Sotomayor. First, as Professor Martha Minnow has noted, there can never be a universal definition of wise. Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life. What is the purpose of Sotomayor's use of the word wise?

to emphasize the value of a Latina woman's experience

Read the passage from Animal Farm. Once again it was being put about that all the animals were dying of famine and disease, and that they were continually fighting among themselves and had resorted to cannibalism and infanticide. Napoleon was well aware of the bad results that might follow if the real facts of the food situation were known, and he decided to make use of Mr. Whymper to spread a contrary impression. Hitherto the animals had had little or no contact with Whymper on his weekly visits: now, however, a few selected animals, mostly sheep, were instructed to remark casually in his hearing that rations had been increased. In addition, Napoleon ordered the almost empty bins in the store-shed to be filled nearly to the brim with sand, which was then covered up with what remained of the grain and meal. On some suitable pretext Whymper was led through the store-shed and allowed to catch a glimpse of the bins. He was deceived, and continued to report to the outside world that there was no food shortage on Animal Farm. What is Orwell's main purpose in this passage?

to reveal that dictators manipulate others and use deception to further their ambitions

Read the passage from a story in The Arabian Nights Entertainments. The fisherman was very unhappy. "What an unlucky man I am to have freed you! I implore you to spare my life." "I have told you," said the genius, "that it is impossible. Choose quickly; you are wasting time." The fisherman began to devise a plot. "Since I must die," he said, "before I choose the manner of my death, I conjure you on your honour to tell me if you really were in that vase?" "Yes, I was," answered the genius. "I really cannot believe it," said the fisherman. "That vase could not contain one of your feet even, and how could your whole body go in? I cannot believe it unless I see you do the thing." Then the genius began to change himself into smoke, which, as before, spread over the sea and the shore, and which, then collecting itself together, began to go back into the vase slowly and evenly till there was nothing left outside. Then a voice came from the vase which said to the fisherman, "Well, unbelieving fisherman, here I am in the vase; do you believe me now?" What is the fisherman's motivation for asking the genius if he really was in the vase?

to try to find a way to stay alive