Unit Test Review

In Chapter 3 of The Scarlet Letter, how does Hawthorne show that Master Dimmesdale is uncomfortable with the public aspect of his profession? a. He describes Master Dimmesdale as someone who is most at ease in seclusion, not mingling outwardly among other people. b. He describes Master Dimmesdale as a man of great accomplishment who speaks eloquently and is firm in his religious beliefs. c. He describes Master Dimmesdale as childlike and pure with a voice that resembles that of an angel. d. He describes Master Dimmesdale as a man who has the power to convince others to follow his command through his ability to speak passionately.

A) He describes Master Dimmesdale as someone who is most at ease in seclusion, not mingling outwardly among other people.

Read the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture. "The expression was that of agony—the agony of intense bodily pain; but a menace scowled upon the brow, and a few sprinklings of blood added to its ghastliness. Yet it was not all these characteristics—it was some horror of the mind, some inscrutable antipathy awakened by this picture, which harrowed up my feelings. What effect does the tone of the excerpt have on the reader? a. It evokes a sense of anxiety as the narrator observes his surroundings. b. It evokes a sense of nostalgia as personal experiences are recounted. c. It fosters confidence that everything will work out fine in the end. d. It fosters a belief that the narrator is not a reliable reporter.

A) It evokes a sense of anxiety as the narrator observes his surroundings.

Read the excerpt from a short story. The apartment house had a communal attic rarely visited by its tenants. The labeled boxes and cast-off furniture offered little intrigue, so few explored its depths. Then one rainy afternoon, I ventured there seeking solitude. Roaming beyond the beams of the lone ceiling bulb, I spied only cobwebs until I rounded the corner of a hulking armoire. Beyond this antique was unrelenting shadow, but I willed myself to advance. Then a grim bellow of thunder resounded, sending me to the floor. Prostrate on the splintered beams, my hands felt a shaft of cold steel and I could but imagine the evil article I'd encountered. What technique does the author use to build suspense in the excerpt? a. The word choice darkens the tone. b. Odd characters are introduced. c. The setting details are intentionally omitted. d. The outcome of events becomes uncertain.

A) The word choice darkens the tone.

Based on Chapter 4 of The Scarlet Letter, what biased view do Hester Prynne and most of her fellow settlers hold of themselves in relation to the Native American population in the area? a. They see themselves as more civilized. b. The see themselves as less knowledgeable. c. They see themselves as more simple. d. They see themselves as less powerful.

A) They see themselves as more civilized.

Read the sentence relating to Roger Chillingworth from Chapter 4 of The Scarlet Letter. "Never, sayest thou?" rejoined he with a smile of dark and self-relying intelligence. What trait of Roger Chillingworth does Hawthorne develop in this sentence? a. Chillingworth's pure intentions b. Chillingworth's sinister motivations c. Chillingworth's respectability d. Chillingworth's carelessness

B) Chillingworth's sinister motivations

Read the excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 1 of Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. SQUIRE TRELAWNEY, Dr. Livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted, I take up my pen in the year of grace and go back to the time when my father kept the Admiral Benbow inn and the brown old seaman with the sabre cut first took up his lodging under our roof. Which best explains Stevenson's reason for beginning the chapter with this paragraph? a. Stevenson creates confusion in the reader with a narrator who explains that he is writing a story because he has been asked to do so by several other characters. b. Stevenson creates interest in the reader with mention of still undiscovered treasure and the arrival of a mysterious character in the narrator's life. c. Stevenson creates unease in the reader with a detailed account of the problem the main character has to overcome to reach a solution. d. Stevenson creates a clear visual picture in the reader's head with a strong description of the story's setting without giving its actual location.

B) Stevenson creates interest in the reader with mention of still undiscovered treasure and the arrival of a mysterious character in the narrator's life.

Read this excerpt from chapter 2 of The Scarlet Letter using comprehension strategies. It was no great distance, in those days, from the prison-door to the market-place. Measured by the prisoner's experience, however, it might be reckoned a journey of some length; for, haughty as her demeanour was, she perchance underwent an agony from every footstep of those that thronged to see her, as if her heart had been flung into the street for them all to spurn and trample upon. What is the meaning of this excerpt? a. The walk from prison to scaffolding grew farther over the years as the town expanded. b. The walk from prison to scaffolding seemed a long and treacherous journey to Hester. c. The walk from prison to scaffolding was short, but the onlookers were a violent crowd. d. The walk from prison to scaffolding was both emotionally and physically painful for Hester.

B) The walk from prison to scaffolding seemed a long and treacherous journey to Hester.

Read the excerpt relating to Reverend Mr. Wilson from Chapter 3 of The Scarlet Letter. He looked like the darkly engraved portraits which we see prefixed to old volumes of sermons; and had no more right than one of those portraits would have, to step forth, as he now did, and meddle with a question of human guilt, passion, and anguish. Which trait of Reverend Mr. Wilson does Hawthorne develop in this excerpt from the chapter? a. courage b. arrogance c. remorsefulness d. humility

B) arrogance

Read the excerpt from Chapter 28 of Moby-Dick. He looked like a man cut away from the stake, when the fire has overrunningly wasted all the limbs without consuming them, or taking away one particle from their compacted aged robustness. His whole high, broad form, seemed made of solid bronze, and shaped in an unalterable mould, like Cellini's cast Perseus. Which best states the theme that is developed in this excerpt? a. man's ability to exercise free will b. the paralysis that fate inflicts on man c. the flexibility of man's intellect d. man's inability to impact nature

B) the paralysis that fate inflicts on man

Read this excerpt from chapter 2 of The Scarlet Letter. Standing on that miserable eminence, she saw again her native village, in Old England, and her paternal home; a decayed house of gray stone, with a poverty-stricken aspect, but retaining a half-obliterated shield of arms over the portal, in token of antique gentility. What is the effect of the underlined words in this excerpt? a. They impart a frustrated mood. b. They impart a sympathetic mood. c. They portray a former setting with humility and dignity. d. They portray a former setting with judgment and distaste.

C) The portray a former setting with humility and dignity.

Read the sentence. Mark Twain is a pseudonym for the writer's legal name, Samuel L. Clemens. Based on the prefix, pseudo-, what does the word "pseudonym" mean? a. real name b. given name c. fake name d. legal name

C) fake name

Which best explains the symbolism behind Ahab's ivory leg, fashioned from the jaw of a whale in Chapter 28 of Moby-Dick? a. Ahab is a leader who instills confidence and security in his men. b. Ahab is a leader who sets himself apart from his men in order to protect them. c. Ahab hunts whales with the aim of providing a living for himself and his men. d. Ahab hunts whales with the aim of conquering them like an enemy.

D) Ahab hunts whales with the aim of conquering them like an enemy.

Read the excerpt from "The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture." "[T]here is a secret about one of my rooms on which I feel disposed to try an experiment. So, gentlemen, none of you shall know who has the haunted chamber, until circumstances reveal it. I will not even know it myself, but will leave it to chance and the allotment of the housekeeper. At the same time, if it will be any satisfaction to you, I will observe, for the honor of my paternal mansion, that there's scarcely a chamber in it but is well worthy of being haunted." What technique does Irving use to build suspense in the excerpt? a. The pace of the story quickens. b. The word choice darkens the tone. c. Odd characters are introduced. d. Setting details are intentionally omitted.

D) Setting details are intentionally omitted.

Read the paragraph. Length multiplied by width equals the square footage of a room. If the room is L-shaped, you can break the space down into several different squares or rectangles. You may want to measure in inches to figure out the total square inches. Then divide that by 144 to figure out the total square footage. This passage is most appropriate for a. professional architects. b. professional construction workers. c. students studying advanced mathematics. d. students learning architectural design.

D) students learning architectural design.

Read the excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 5 of Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. '"What in the world are you going to do now, Jo?" asked Meg one snowy afternoon, as her sister came tramping through the hall, in rubber boots, old sack, and hood, with a broom in one hand and a shovel in the other. "Going out for exercise," answered Jo with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "I should think two long walks this morning would have been enough! It's cold and dull out, and I advise you to stay warm and dry by the fire, as I do," said Meg with a shiver. "Never take advice! Can't keep still all day, and not being a pussycat, I don't like to doze by the fire. I like adventures, and I'm going to find some. " Why does Alcott most likely begin the chapter with character dialogue? a. to introduce the characters in the story b. to set up the problem in the story c. to establish the mood of the story d. to keep the momentum of the story going

D) to keep the momentum of the story going