English 10 A - Unit 2
Read the sentence. The police in the helicopter rescued a driver who was in a serious situation: He was stuck in a wash during a flash flood. Which word that could replace serious in the sentence has the most negative connotation?
dire
What is tone in writing?
the author's attitude toward the subject
Which words are adjective forms of the word economy? Select all that apply.
- economic - economical
Read the passage from Farewell to Manzanar. Mama and Woody went to work packing celery for a Japanese produce dealer. Kiyo and my sister May and I enrolled in the local school, and what sticks in my memory from those few weeks is the teacher—not her looks, her remoteness. In Ocean Park my teacher had been a kind, grandmotherly woman who used to sail with us in Papa's boat from time to time and who wept the day we had to leave. In Boyle Heights the teacher felt cold and distant. I was confused by all the moving and was having trouble with the classwork, but she would never help me out. She would have nothing to do with me. This was the first time I had felt outright hostility from a Caucasian. What inference can you make based on this passage?
The author experiences discrimination because she is Japanese American.
Read the passage from "Ways of Nature." For only a few seconds would this downward rush continue; then, as if the spirit of frolic had again got the upper hand of them, the ring would rise, and the chippering and circling go on. In a minute or two the same maneuver would be repeated, the chimney, as it were, taking its swallows at intervals to prevent choking. It usually took a half-hour or more for the birds all to disappear down its capacious throat. Why does the author use personification to describe the chimney?
The personification helps readers understand how the birds enter the opening in groups, rather than all at once.
"On Twitter, Fake News Has Greater Allure Than Truth Does" suggests that the spread of fake news is difficult to combat through social media. Which statement from the article serves as a sound basis for this analysis?
Flagging potentially false headlines or news sites only works a little, it found. Sometimes the tactic could even backfire.
Read the sentence. An effective thesis statement should be _[blank]_. Which option best completes the sentence?
focused and specific
Which word is an adjective form of aggressor?
aggressive
The term for a word's associated ideas or emotions, separate from its literal meaning, is _[blank]_.
connotation
If James grovels, how does he behave? Select all that apply.
- in a fawning manner - in a degrading manner
What information would be most relevant in a researched informational essay about the causes of teen stress?
a survey conducted by a university that shows teens report feeling more anxiety than ever before
What is personification?
a type of metaphor that attributes human qualities to an object, an idea, or another living thing
Which paraphrased text displays a correct academic citation?
Coping skills are developed through a range of factors, including relationships, experiences, and culture (Plummer 16).
What is connotative meaning?
the emotional associations of a word or phrase, separate from the literal meaning
When is evidence for an inference both strong and thorough?
when it is directly related to the idea or conclusion
Which statement from "On Twitter, Fake News Has Greater Allure Than Truth Does" provides strong evidence that people may find fake news stories more exciting than real news stories?
Tweet replies to the false news stories also used more words indicating surprise.
"On Twitter, Fake News Has Greater Allure Than Truth Does" suggests that fake news stories reach a larger audience than real news stories. Which statements from the article serve as a sound basis for this analysis? Select all that apply.
- Some chains reached tens of thousands of users! - True news stories, in contrast, never spread to more than about 1,600 people.
In which sentences is the word plausible used correctly? Select all that apply.
- Guillermo could not come up with a plausible reason for canceling his dinner date. - Reasoning becomes plausible when it is supported by persuasive evidence.
Read the passage from "Ways of Nature." Her feeding and twig-gathering seem like asides in a life of endless play. Several times both in spring and fall I have seen swifts gather in immense numbers toward nightfall, to take refuge in large unused chimney-stacks. On such occasions they seem to be coming together for some aerial festival or grand celebration. ... Which words contribute to a joyful tone? Select all that apply.
- celebration - festival
Which words are synonyms for subside? Select all that apply.
- diminish - wane - settle
Read the sentences from a work contract. The employer will provide working space and basic supplies for job tasks. The employer will not be obligated to reimburse the employee for purchases that are not needed for job tasks, or for expenses related to transportation to the job site. Which words are clues to the meaning of reimburse? Select all that apply.
- expenses - purchases
What is a synonym of irrational?
unsound
Which search terms would be the best to use if you were researching the causes of teen stress? Select all that apply.
- high school workload - parent-teen relationships
Read the passage from "Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Part 1." But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of the military of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by 42 other countries—including Norway—in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks. Which is an example of figurative language in this passage?
"Winding down" is an idiom.
Which would be an effective thesis statement for an informational essay about lowering stress in children?
Children are overscheduled and stressed, but more free time for unstructured play would help reduce their stress.
What is the meaning of the new word when the suffix -ion in the word automation is changed to -ic?
It becomes an adjective that means "happening without human intervention."
When the suffix -ous is added to the word envy, the word envious results. How does the part of speech change and what is the meaning of the new word?
It becomes an adjective that means "wanting to have what someone else has."
Read the passage from "Ways of Nature." Think of a bluebird, or an oriole, or a robin, or a jay, fighting for hours at a time its own image as reflected in a pane of glass; quite exhausting itself in its fury to demolish its supposed rival! Yet I have often witnessed this little comedy. How does the author's use of the word comedy impact the meaning in the passage?
It helps describe the birds' funny behaviors.
Read the passage from Farewell to Manzanar. Like so many of the women there, Mama never did get used to the latrines. It was a humiliation she just learned to endure: shikata ga nai, this cannot be helped. She would quickly subordinate her own desires to those of the family or the community, because she knew cooperation was the only way to survive. At the same time, she placed a high premium on personal privacy, respected it in others and insisted upon it for herself. Almost everyone at Manzanar had inherited this pair of traits from the generations before them who had learned to live in a small, crowded country like Japan. Because of the first, they were able to take a desolate stretch of wasteland and gradually make it livable. But the entire situation there, especially in the beginning—the packed sleeping quarters, the communal mess halls, the open toilets—all this was an open insult to that other, private self, a slap in the face you were powerless to challenge. What is the implied meaning in this passage?
Japanese cultural habits contributed both positively and negatively to life in the camps.
In Farewell to Manzanar, it is implied that the cold was especially hard on the residents of the camp because they were not used to it, nor were they prepared for it. Which statement from the text serves as strong evidence for this interpretation?
Some old men left Los Angeles wearing Hawaiian shirts and Panama hats and stepped off the bus at an altitude of 4000 feet, with nothing available but sagebrush and tarpaper to stop the April winds pouring down off the back side of the Sierras.
Read the passage from "Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall." Children love to play in piles of leaves, hurling them into the air like confetti, leaping into soft unruly mattresses of them. Why does the author use the word mattress in a figurative way in this passage?
The author is comparing a pile of leaves to a mattress to show that the pile of leaves is soft and comfortable.
Read the passage from "Ways of Nature." What a creature of the air this bird is, never touching the ground, so far as I know, and never tasting earthly food! The swallow does perch now and then and descend to the ground for nesting-material; but the swift, I have reason to believe, even outrides the summer storms, facing them on steady wing, high in air. What is the author implying by using the word earthly in this passage?
The bird seems to stay in the air, without ever touching the ground to eat.
Read the passage from "Ways of Nature." There is probably nothing in human experience, at this age of the world, that is like the helpless terror that seizes the rabbits as it does other of our lesser wild creatures, when pursued by any of the weasel tribe. They seem instantly to be under some fatal spell which binds their feet and destroys their will power. It would seem as if a certain phase of nature from which we get our notions of fate and cruelty had taken form in the weasel. How does the author achieve the tone of this passage?
The connotative meaning of language such as "fatal" and "binds their feet" creates a tone of dread.
Read the passage from "Ways of Nature." She has a pretty way of trying to frighten you off when your head suddenly darkens the opening above her. At such times she leaves the nest and clings to the side of the chimney near it. Then, slowly raising her wings, she suddenly springs out from the wall and back again, making as loud a drumming with them in the passage as she is capable of. If this does not frighten you away, she repeats it three or four times. If your face still hovers above her, she remains quiet and watches you. How does the author's use of the words pretty and quiet affect the tone of the passage?
The peaceful tone makes the bird seem harmless and mild.
Read the passage from "Ways of Nature." The swift is a stiff flyer: there appear to be no joints in her wings; she suggests something made of wires or of steel. Yet the air of frolic and of superabundance of wing-power is more marked with her than with any other of our birds. How does the author's choice of words affect the understanding about swifts in this passage?
The phrases air of frolic and superabundance of wing power show that the swifts are quick and agile flyers.
In "People Don't Know When They're Being Jerks," the researchers wanted to ensure that their experiments were rigorous and thorough. Which statement from the article supports this analysis?
Though the researchers collected data for more than 400 participants over several years, the current study used data from 248 participants, all of whom answered questions about their day-by-day traits for two weeks and wore the audio device for one of those weeks.
Explicit meaning is _[blank]_ in the text. Which answer correctly completes the sentence?
directly stated
If Bob played a trick on Adam, you could also say that Bob _[blank]_ Adam. Which word correctly completes the sentence?
duped
Read the sentence. After the power outage, the maintenance staff sent workers to make _[blank]_ repairs in the attic. Which word correctly completes the sentence?
electrical
Read the sentence from a college brochure. To qualify for the foreign study program, students must demonstrate proficiency in the language of the nations they are visiting, to enable clear communication in all classes. Which word is the best synonym for proficiency?
expertise
Read the passage from "Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Part 1." The resurgence of ethnic or sectarian conflicts; the growth of secessionist movements, insurgencies, and failed states—all these things have increasingly trapped civilians in unending chaos. What is the meaning of the technical term insurgencies in this passage?
groups who overthrow and take over governments
Which would be considered an atrocity?
mass murder
Read the passage from "Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Part 1." We have done so out of enlightened self-interest—because we seek a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if others' children and grandchildren can live in freedom and prosperity. What is most likely the connotative meaning of the word prosperity?
wealth that is earned through honest means
In Farewell to Manzanar, the author implies that families that were forced to move to internment camps were also often separated from one another. Which statements from the text serve as strong evidence for this interpretation? Select all that apply.
- Mama and my older brothers had succeeded in keeping most of us together, on the same bus, headed for the same camp. I didn't realize until much later what a job that was. - Many families weren't as lucky as ours and suffered months of anguish while trying to arrange transfers from one camp to another.
Which topics would be appropriate for an informational essay? Select all that apply.
- how different diets could suit different lifestyles - the effects of global warming on the melting of polar ice caps
Which statements from "People Don't Know When They're Being Jerks" provide strong evidence that people are good judges of how extroverted they are being? Select all that apply.
0.25/1 - [WRONG] These participants would then be emailed or texted surveys four times a day asking them to recall how extroverted, agreeable, conscientious or neurotic (a measurement of their level of worry) they were during a particular hour of the day. - Participants' ratings of their own behaviors agreed with outside observers for extroversion, or how outgoing they were being, and for conscientiousness, or how reliable and responsible they were being.
Read the passage from "People Don't Know When They're Being Jerks." Finding out took a Herculean effort and nine years of work. The researchers asked college students to spend time wearing audio recorders that would automatically activate every 9.5 minutes between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m. to record 30 seconds of audio each. These participants would then be emailed or texted surveys four times a day asking them to recall how extroverted, agreeable, conscientious or neurotic (a measurement of their level of worry) they were during a particular hour of the day. Which statement best expresses the meaning within this passage?
People were recorded and surveyed about their behavior throughout the day.
Read the passage from Farewell to Manzanar. During the night Mama had unpacked all our clothes and heaped them on our beds for warmth. Now our cubicle looked as if a great laundry bag had exploded and then been sprayed with fine dust. A skin of sand covered the floor. I looked over Mama's shoulder at Kiyo, on top of his fat mattress, buried under jeans and overcoats and sweaters. His eyebrows were gray, and he was starting to giggle. He was looking at me, at my gray eyebrows and coated hair, and pretty soon we were both giggling. I looked at Mama's face to see if she thought Kiyo was funny. She lay very still next to me on our mattress, her eyes scanning everything—bare rafters, walls, dusty kids—scanning slowly, and I think the mask of her face would have cracked had not Woody's voice just then come at us through the wall. What can be inferred from this passage?
The children in the camp do not fully understand their situation.
Read the passage from an article about twin brothers who are pianists. Kale and I grew up in a house with a piano in the living room. My earliest memory is of my father pounding merrily on the black and white keys, sending a torrent of blissful sounds cascading upward from the piano. The music seemed to swirl about the living room and waft deliciously throughout the house, like the sweet aroma of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls. How does the function of waft in the passage provide a clue to its correct definition?
Waft tells about something that musical sound can do, so the correct definition will be for a verb.
You are writing an essay explaining which species of wildlife are endangered in the western United States, and why each species is endangered. Which would be an appropriate research question for this topic?
What has caused the endangerment of wildlife in the western United States?
What is the most appropriate purpose for a biography written about a former US president?
to inform
Read the passage from "Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall." Anthocyanin, the pigment that gives apples their red and turns leaves red or red-violet, is produced by sugars that remain in the leaf after the supply of nutrients dwindles. Unlike the carotenoids, which color carrots, squash, and corn, and turn leaves orange and yellow, anthocyanin varies from year to year, depending on the temperature and amount of sunlight. The fiercest colors occur in years when the fall sunlight is strongest and the nights are cool and dry (a state of grace scientists find vexing to forecast). This is also why leaves appear dizzyingly bright and clear on a sunny fall day: The anthocyanin flashes like a marquee. Which terms from the passage are examples of technical language? Select all that apply.
0.67/1 - carotenoids - anthocyanin
Read the passage from "Ways of Nature." Our porcupine, for instance, is probably the most stupid of animals and has the least speed; it has little use for either wit or celerity of movement. It carries a death-dealing armor to protect it from its enemies, and it can climb the nearest hemlock tree and live on the bark all winter. The skunk, too, pays for its terrible weapon by dull wits. What do the words stupid, death-dealing, terrible weapon, and dull wits imply?
The words imply that since porcupines and skunks have good protection, they don't need to be smart.
Which statement from "On Twitter, Fake News Has Greater Allure Than Truth Does" provides strong evidence that scientists had not thoroughly analyzed the spread of fake news before?
Until now, [Filippo Menczer] says, "We didn't have a really large-scale, systematic study evaluating the spread of misinformation."
Read the sentence. The irritable old man who lives at the end of the street waved a baseball bat as he chased some skateboarders off his driveway. Which words with similar meanings would have a more negative connotation than irritable in the sentence?
belligerent
Read the sentence. When Grandma takes a nap on the couch, she places a bolster under her knees so she is more comfortable. Read the dictionary definitions. bolster(n) 1. a supporting part on a tool or vehicle 2. a long, thick pillow used for support(v) 3. to support or strengthen 4. to provide a seat with padded support Which definition is correct for bolster as it is used in the sentence
definition 2
Which quotations are correctly cited? Select all that apply.
- Many people understand that "a child's life is inevitably full of changes and times of uncertainty" (Plummer 16). - According to Deborah M. Plummer, "a child's life is inevitably full of changes and times of uncertainty" (16).
Which groups are appropriate audiences for an instructional manual for a laptop computer? Select all that apply.
- women - college students - teachers
When is evidence considered both strong and thorough?
when it directly relates to all parts of an idea
What is figurative meaning?
the nonliteral meaning of a word or phrase
Why is it important to find thorough evidence for inferred meaning in an informational text?
to ensure that all parts of the inference are justified and accurate
Read the passage from "Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall." Was that a goldfinch perching in the early September woods, or just the first turning leaf? A red-winged blackbird or a sugar maple closing up shop for the winter? What is the figurative meaning of the phrase "closing up shop for the winter"?
It is personification that makes the birds and trees seem like people doing seasonal chores.
Which statement from "People Don't Know When They're Being Jerks" provides strong evidence that people were inaccurately judging themselves as being impolite?
Some participants thought they were being rude when observers rated them as kind and polite.
What is an inference?
a conclusion based on evidence
Read the passage from an article about twin brothers who are pianists. Kale and I entered Dr. Barron's office. "So, you are the Konowitz Duo?" Dr. Barron asked. We nodded nervously. "We shall see about that," he added, rather cryptically, then gestured toward the massive grand piano that filled his office. "Play." Kale and I looked at each other, rather startled at the brevity of the interview. What does brevity mean as it is used in the passage?
shortness
What is technical meaning?
the meaning of a word or phrase specific to a specialized field of knowledge
Read the passage from "Ways of Nature." If the coon washes his food only when it needs washing, and not in every individual instance, then the proceeding looks like an act of judgment; the same with the muskrat. But if they always wash their food, whether soiled or not, the act looks more like instinct or an inherited habit, the origin of which is obscure. Why does the author use the technical words and phrases instinct and inherited habit in this passage?
to explain that some animal behaviors are automatic and not a result of intelligence
Read the passage from an article about twin brothers who are pianists. Kale and I grew up in a house with a piano in the living room. My earliest memory is of my father pounding merrily on the black and white keys, sending a torrent of blissful sounds cascading upward from the piano. The music seemed to swirl about the living room and waft deliciously throughout the house, like the sweet aroma of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls. What does waft mean as it is used in the passage?
to move lightly through the air
