English 12B Unit 5: Dawning of a New Era (Modern Period, 1901-Present)
Lesson 23
Going to Manderley Again
Which options depict the most effective ways in which a short poem could be artistically interpreted? (Select all that apply.)
painting audio recording
Read the sentence. The undulating display of the American flag flying high over the capitol building brought to mind the line from the song "The Star-Spangled Banner": "O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave." To what is the word undulating referring in this sentence?
the waving motion of the flag
Which excerpts from The War of the Worlds effectively use setting to provide a contrast to the horror of the plot? (Select all that apply.)
0.25 of 1 They shouted consolation and promises, and went off back to the town again to get help. One can imagine them, covered with sand, excited and disordered, running up the little street in the bright sunlight just as the shop folks were taking down their shutters and people were opening their bedroom windows. xxx An enormous hole had been made by the impact of the projectile, and the sand and gravel had been flung violently in every direction over the heath, forming heaps visible a mile and a half away. The heather was on fire eastward, and a thin blue smoke rose against the dawn.
Which options accurately explain how the perspective and mood of the poem's speaker are visually portrayed in the video?
The image of the burning sun contributes to the mood of intense anger and passion the speaker feels. The black and white film contributes to a nostalgic, sentimental mood and perspective.
Read the excerpt from Rebecca. Ivy held prior place in this lost garden, the long strands crept across the lawns, and soon would encroach upon the house itself. The word encroach comes from the Middle French word encrochier, which means __________. Which option most appropriately completes the statement? (Select all that apply.)
to seize to hang up
The author of Rebecca slows down the pacing by omitting action and focusing on the narrator's thoughts. Which excerpts from Rebecca clearly depict the narrator's thoughts and slow down the pacing of the plot? (Select all that apply.)
... [I]t had not occurred to him I dreaded this arrival at Manderley as much as I had longed for it in theory. Now the moment was upon me I wished it delayed. I wanted to draw up at some wayside inn and stay there, in a coffee-room, by an impersonal fire. I forced a smile, and did not answer him, aware now of a stab of panic, an uneasy sickness that could not be controlled. Gone was my glad excitement, vanished my happy pride. I was like a child brought to her first school, or a little untrained maid who has never left home before, seeking a situation.
Reread the excerpt from Rebecca. Which options accurately explain how the author uses the frame structure to develop the character of the narrator? (Select all that apply.)
By using a frame structure, the author shows the narrator's eerie attachment to Manderley, and then goes back in time to show how the narrator's odd attachment to the estate developed. By using a frame structure, the author shows the narrator's state of misery that Manderley no longer exists, and then goes back in time to reveal how the narrator's feelings toward Manderley developed.
Read the sentence from Rebecca. As the drive descended to the valley so the trees came in upon us, great beeches with lovely smooth white stems, lifting their myriad branches to one another, and other trees, trees I could not name, coming close, so close that I could touch them with my hands. What option is the correct definition of myriad?
numerous
Reread the poems "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas and "Song of a Man Who Has Come Through" by D.H. Lawrence. Which options most clearly explain how the authors of the two poems similarly use the outer world to depict an inner world? (Select all that apply.)
Lawrence uses metaphors of wind and water to represent creative inspiration. Thomas uses images of lightning and meteors to depict passionate feeling.
Read the sentence from Rebecca. Nature had come into her own again and, little by little, in her stealthy, insidious way had encroached upon the drive with long, tenacious fingers. What context clues would be helpful in figuring out the meaning of insidious as it is used in the sentence? (Select all that apply.)
little by little her stealthy ... way
Much of the humor in "Strychnine in the Soup" stems from the author's use of implied meanings. Which option most accurately identifies an example of sarcasm?
Cyril's comment that he wouldn't be likely to "move in the same social circles as charging rhinoceri"
Lesson 24
Looking at Them in Different Ways
Which option most clearly reflects the purpose of a subplot?
to provide support for the main plot
Read the lines from the poem "Musée des Beaux Arts." About suffering they were never wrong,The Old Masters; how well they understoodIts human position; how it takes placeWhile someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully alongHow, when the aged are reverently, passionately waitingFor the miraculous birth, there always must beChildren who did not specially want it to happen. ... Which words from the text most effectively help indicate the meaning of the word reverently as it is used in the lines?
For the miraculous birth
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup," which details Cyril's actions after he arrives at Barkley Towers, where the party is being held. As he had taken the five-seven express, stopping only at Gluebury Peveril, he arrived at Barkley Towers at an hour which enabled him not only to be on hand for dinner but also to take part in the life-giving distribution of cocktails which preceded the meal. Which option most accurately explains the purpose of calling the cocktails "life-giving"?
Life-giving" is used ironically to emphasize the fact that many believe alcohol to help increase social skills, especially in stressful social situations.
Lesson 21
The Martians Are Coming!
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup," which describes how Cyril and Amelia fall in love. The two twin souls gazed into each other's eyes. There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship than a mutual taste in literature. Which option most accurately identifies the author's perspective on relationships based on the excerpt's sarcasm?
The author is amused that people can base an entire relationship on trivial and insufficient qualities.
Read the first sentence of Rebecca. Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. What options clearly analyze the significance of the first sentence? (Select all that apply.)
The sentence increases curiosity with the word "again," indicating that the narrator keeps dreaming about Manderley. The sentence raises questions that will be answered in the narrative; for example, "What is Manderley?" The sentence clarifies that what comes next will be a retelling of a dream, as indicated by the words "I dreamt."
Reread the poems "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" and "Song of a Man Who Has Come Through." These poems both feature men who are facing great loss and pain. Which option most effectively explains the differences in how the speakers in the poems face their futures?
The speaker in "Song of a Man Who Has Come Through" wants to surrender his strength; the speaker in "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" wants to encourage struggle and resistance.
Reread the poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night." Which option most accurately identifies a symbol that appears throughout the poem?
The sunset is a symbol of the end of life.
Which options correctly identify elements in narrative text? (Select all that apply.)
foreshadowing setting
Which options most accurately explain how the author of The War of the Worlds uses the crash landing of the spaceship to introduce Ogilvy's character? (Select all that apply.)
Ogilvy goes to the site of the crash to explore the area the morning after seeing the shooting star. Once there, he examines the cylinder. His actions characterize him as curious. Ogilvy tries to help those inside the cylinder. His actions characterize him as compassionate.
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup," which explains Cyril's opinion of the books kept in the house library. Their literature was in keeping with their tastes. In the library there would be books on Bahai-ism, volumes in old leather of the Rural Encyclopedia, My Two Years in Sunny Ceylon, by the Rev. Orlo Waterbury ... but of anything that would interest Scotland Yard, of anything with a bit of blood in it and a corpse or two into which a fellow could get his teeth, not a trace. Which option most accurately explains the purpose of including the phrase "into which a fellow could get his teeth"?
The phrase adds dark humor to the idea of being totally absorbed in a murder mystery, with its second meaning implying actual violence.
In "Strychnine in the Soup," consider the final confrontation between Cyril and Lady Bassett, during which he refuses to return her book until she consents to his marriage to Amelia. Which option most accurately explains how this interaction represents a major moment for Cyril's character?
Until this point, Cyril has remained meek and submissive. However, his quick thinking and sly actions reveal that he possesses inner cunning and boldness, which he then finds himself embracing.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds. I was very glad to do as he asked, and so become one of the privileged spectators within the contemplated enclosure. I failed to find Lord Hilton at his house, but I was told he was expected from London by the six o'clock train from Waterloo; and as it was then about a quarter past five, I went home, had some tea, and walked up to the station to waylay him. Given the context, what is the most accurate definition of the word waylay?
to intercept
Which options correctly explain the function of exposition? (Select all that apply.)
to introduce the setting to introduce the characters to introduce the conflict
Which option provides the most accurate synonym for the word sagacious?
wise
Which option correctly defines framing?
a literary technique that places one story inside another
Read the sentence from The War of the Worlds. I turned, and as I did so the screw must have come out, for the lid of the cylinder fell upon the gravel with a ringing concussion. Which option is the accurate synonym of the word concussion as it is used in the sentence?
crash
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup." After three rapid glasses he felt a better and braver man. And so lavishly did he irrigate the ensuring dinner with hock, sherry, champagne, old brandy, and port that at the conclusion of the meal he was pleased to find that his diffidence had completely vanished. He rose from the table feeling equal to asking a dozen Lady Bassetts for their consent to marry a dozen daughters. Which option uses the word diffidence as it is used in the excerpt?
As a child, Derek displayed much diffidence, but since entering high school and joining its football team, he has become a more confident person.
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup," in which Mr. Mulliner explains the ending of a mystery novel to a bar patron who is anxious to know the conclusion of the story. "The plumber forgot his snake and had to go back for it," explained Mr. Mulliner. ''I trust that this revelation will prove sedative." "I feel a new man," said the Draught Stout. "I'd have lain awake worrying about that murder all night." Which option most accurately explains how a student who did not know the meaning of sedative could infer its definition?
The student could use the words "a new man" to infer that sedative refers to something that helps relieve worry.
Read the sentence from Rebecca. I can close my eyes now, and look back on it, and see myself as I must have been, standing on the threshold of the house, a slim, awkward figure in my stockinette dress, clutching in my sticky hands a pair of gauntlet gloves. Which option accurately explains the use of flashback in the sentence?
This flashback provides the narrator with a reminder of how much she has matured.
Read the sentence from Rebecca. The rhododendrons stood fifty feet high, twisted and entwined with bracken, and they had entered into alien marriage with a host of nameless shrubs, poor, bastard things that clung about their roots as though conscious of their spurious origin. What context clue would be most effective in figuring out the meaning of spurious as used in the sentence?
poor, bastard things
Which option most accurately defines the word sarcasm?
the use of mockery to impart contempt or criticism
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup." "And, dash it," said Cyril indignantly, "this isn't the Victorian age. All that business of Mother's Consent went out twenty years ago." Which option uses the word indignantly as it is used in the excerpt?
Angry that his parents had refused to let him attend the all-night party, Mark stormed to his bedroom and slammed the door indignantly.
The character of Icarus is depicted in both the poem "Musée des Beaux Arts" and the painting Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. Which option most effectively explains how Icarus is portrayed in both the poem and the painting?
In both the poem and the painting, the focus is on the disastrous aftermath of Icarus's flight, rather than on the flight itself.
Which option most accurately explains how the pacing in both the video and the poem helps to establish tone?
Quick images of burning light and churning ocean waves convey a tone of urgency and chaos.
Reread Chapter 7 of Rebecca. Which options clearly explain the use of flashback here? (Select all that apply.)
The flashback, which is mostly the narrator's thoughts, creates a slow pace, as little action occurs. The flashback establishes the narrator's apprehension and builds suspense for what is to come.
Much of the humor in "Strychnine in the Soup" stems from the author's use of implied meanings. Which options accurately identify examples of overstatements that create a humorous effect? (Select all that apply.)
When Cyril loses his book and can't finish the detective story, it is described as "the most poignant bereavement." As Cyril and Lester Mapledurham stare at each other, it feels like "exchanging glances with Lady Bassett's charging rhinoceros." Lester Mapledurham stays up late reading, and the light under the closed door is referred to as "sinister evidence of reading in bed."
Read the paragraph. When we went to the animal shelter to adopt a pet, we watched the kittens for a long time to determine their personalities. We ultimately chose the most playful and vivacious one of the bunch, hoping she would liven up our quiet home. Which words from the paragraph are the most effective context clues indicating the meaning of the word vivacious? (Select all that apply.)
playful liven up
"Strychnine in the Soup" involves many instances of humor that that helps develop satire in the story. Which option most accurately identifies an example of humor that lends itself to the satirical tone of the text?
"It is impossible," she said at length. "He is incapable of such an act. Lester Mapledurham is a man who once killed a lion with a sardine opener."
Reread "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas and "Song of a Man Who Has Come Through" by D. H. Lawrence. Which lines from the poems most effectively explain how the authors use imagery to convey the power of art? (Select all that apply.)
0.25 of 1 Like a fine, an exquisite chisel, a wedge-blade inserted;If only I am keen and hard like the sheer tip of a wedgeDriven by invisible blows,The rock will split, we shall come at the wonder, ...Lawrence uses an image of a sculptor chipping away at stone to show the slow, hard work of creating art. XXX Not I, not I, but the wind that blows through me!A fine wind is blowing the new direction of Time.If only I let it bear me, carry me, if only it carry me!If only I am sensitive, subtle, oh, delicate, a winged gift!Lawrence uses images of birds and flight to show the heights that art can reach. TRY: Though wise men at their end know dark is right,Because their words had forked no lightning theyDo not go gentle into that good night. ...Thomas uses images of darkness and lightning to demonstrate the energy and illumination that art provides.
Lesson 22
Absolutely Nothing to Do with Eating Soup
Read the paragraph from Rebecca. Nettles were everywhere, the vanguard of the army. They choked the terrace, they sprawled about the paths, they leant, vulgar and lanky, against the very windows of the house. Which options correctly analyze the impact of these words on the meaning of the text? (Select all that apply.)
The word "choked" indicates that the nettles are obstructing the beauty of the terrace. The phrase "the vanguard of the army" indicates that the nettles have taken control of the home's exterior.
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup." The subject of bereavement is one that has often been treated powerfully by poets, who have run the whole gamut of the emotions while laying bare for us the agony of those who have lost parents, wives, children, gazelles, money, fame, dogs, cats, doves, sweethearts, horses, and even collar studs. But no poet has yet treated of the most poignant bereavement of all—that of the man halfway through a detective story who finds himself at bedtime without the book. Based on its use in the excerpt, what is the meaning of poignant?
extremely moving
Read the lines from "Song of a Man Who Has Come Through." What is the knocking?What is the knocking at the door in the night?It's somebody wants to do us harm. No, no, it is the three strange angels.Admit them, admit them. Which option provides the most accurate synonym for the word strange as it appears in the poem?
inexplicable
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds. Beyond the pit stood the little wedge of people with the white flag at its apex, arrested by these phenomena, a little knot of small vertical black shapes upon the black ground. As the green smoke arose, their faces flashed out pallid green, and faded again as it vanished. Then slowly the hissing passed into a humming, into a long, loud, droning noise. Slowly a humped shape rose out of the pit, and the ghost of a beam of light seemed to flicker out from it. Forthwith flashes of actual flame, a bright glare leaping from one to another, sprang from the scattered group of men. It was as if some invisible jet impinged upon them and flashed into white flame. It was as if each man were suddenly and momentarily turned to fire. Then, by the light of their own destruction, I saw them staggering and falling, and their supporters turning to run. Which options accurately describe how the author develops the plot in the excerpt? (Select all that apply.)
0.25 of 1 The narrator does not react at first as he watches the men with the flag and hears the sounds in the pit. His inaction keeps the tension steadily increasing as the narrator comes to realize the men are being killed. xxx The narrator is attentive to the men with the white flag and the humming sound, so he immediately understands what has happened when the men are killed, increasing the tension in the plot.
Read the lines from "Musée des Beaux Arts." In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns awayQuite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman mayHave heard the splash, the forsaken cry,But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shoneAs it had to on the white legs disappearing into the greenWater; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seenSomething amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on. Which lines most effectively show how suffering occurs in the background of our daily lives? (Select all that apply.)
0.25 of 1 XXX ... the expensive delicate ship that must have seenSomething amazing, ...These lines create a visual focus on the ship and its appearance rather than on Icarus's body. ... how everything turns awayQuite leisurely from the disaster ...These lines depict a scene of people and things who physically and deliberately face away from Icarus's body.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds, in which the first Martian exits the spacecraft. A sudden chill came over me. There was a loud shriek from a woman behind. I half turned, keeping my eyes fixed upon the cylinder still, from which other tentacles were now projecting, and began pushing my way back from the edge of the pit. I saw astonishment giving place to horror on the faces of the people about me. ... I looked again at the cylinder, and ungovernable terror gripped me. I stood petrified and staring. What option accurately analyzes the impact of the narrator's thoughts and actions on the tone of the excerpt?
A fearful tone is created through the narrator's thoughts of horror and his glance at the cylinder.
In Chapter 7 of Rebecca, the narrator recalls her experiences of first arriving at Manderley. Which excerpts accurately show the narrator inserting present-tense insights into her flashback? (Select all that apply.)
I can close my eyes now, and look back on it, and see myself as I must have been, standing on the threshold of the house, a slim, awkward figure in my stockinette dress, clutching in my sticky hands a pair of gauntlet gloves. I can see myself now, unsuitably dressed as usual, although a bride of seven weeks, in a tan-coloured stockinette frock, a small fur known as a stone marten round my neck, and over all a shapeless mackintosh, far too big for me and dragging to my ankles.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds. The thought of the confined creature was so dreadful to him that he forgot the heat and went forward to the cylinder to help turn. But luckily the dull radiation arrested him before he could burn his hands on the still-glowing metal. At that he stood irresolute for a moment, then turned, scrambled out of the pit, and set off running wildly into Woking. Which response most accurately explains how a student who did not know the meaning of irresolute could determine its meaning?
Irresolute has the same root as resolute, which means "firmly decided," and has the prefix ir-, which means "not."
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup," which examines the topic of bereavement after Cyril loses his book. The subject of bereavement is one that has often been treated powerfully by poets, who have run the whole gamut of the emotions while laying bare for us the agony of those who have lost parents, wives, children, gazelles, money, fame, dogs, cats, doves, sweethearts, horses, and even collar studs. Which option most accurately explains how the excerpt reflects the author's perspective on poets and their craft?
The author regards poets as inflated and long-winded, discussing at length topics that most people don't care about. This is reflected in his sarcastic use of "children, gazelles, money, fame, dogs, cats, doves," and so on.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds. Many people in Berkshire, Surrey, and Middlesex must have seen the fall of it, and, at most, have thought that another meteorite had descended. No one seems to have troubled to look for the fallen mass that night. Which options most accurately state the inferences that can be made based on the sentence "No one seems to have troubled to look for the fallen mass that night"? (Select all that apply.)
The narrator thinks the public is lazy and apathetic. The narrator views the public as complacent and unconcerned.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds, in which the crowd begins to disperse just before the first Martian exits the cylinder. When I returned to the common the sun was setting. Scattered groups were hurrying from the direction of Woking, and one or two persons were returning. The crowd about the pit had increased, and stood out black against the lemon yellow of the sky—a couple of hundred people, perhaps. There were raised voices, and some sort of struggle appeared to be going on about the pit. Strange imaginings passed through my mind. As I drew nearer I heard Stent's voice: "Keep back! Keep back!" A boy came running towards me. "It's a-movin'," he said to me as he passed; 'a-screwin' and a-screwin' out. I don't like it. I'm a-goin' 'ome, I am." What options accurately depict the impact of the boy's words on pacing within the excerpt?
The plot's forward movement is slow at the beginning of the excerpt because there is little action. The boy's words increase the tension and counteract that lag. The boy's words serve to speed up the pacing of the plot because, as he is talking to the narrator, he is running past him to get away. The narrator is not close enough to see clearly into the pit, so the boy's words provide the narrator with the information he needs, which moves the plot forward.
Which options most clearly explain how W. H. Auden uses words in the poem "Musée des Beaux Arts" to develop the main idea that is depicted visually in the painting Landscape with the Fall of Icarus? (Select all that apply.)
The poem focuses on the everyday lives of people and animals, much as the painting focuses on a scene of everyday life. The poem makes a passing reference at the end to the fall of Icarus, much as the body of Icarus is de-emphasized in the painting.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds, which includes a description of setting shortly after the Martians' first deadly attack. The undulating common seemed now dark almost to blackness, except where its roadways lay grey and pale under the deep blue sky of the early night. It was dark, and suddenly void of men. Overhead the stars were mustering, and in the west the sky was still a pale, bright, almost greenish blue. The tops of the pine trees and the roofs of Horsell came out sharp and black against the western afterglow. The Martians and their appliances were altogether invisible, save for that thin mast upon which their restless mirror wobbled. Patches of bush and isolated trees here and there smoked and glowed still, and the houses towards Woking station were sending up spires of flame into the stillness of the evening air. What options accurately explain how the narrator's feelings are reflected in the setting? (Select all that apply.)
The setting details help to reveal the narrator's feelings of both relief and apprehension. For example, although the Martians are not seen any longer, the remnants of the attack are still quite visible, and it's not clear whether the danger is over. The narrator is distressed by the deceptive quiet of the evening, as reflected in the setting details. For example, he still sees smoke from the widespread destruction.
Which options accurately define the word irony? (Select all that apply.)
a literary technique used to place emphasis or to create humor the use of language that typically means the opposite of what is openly stated
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup," which explains Amelia's and Cyril's emotions. From the moment he told Amelia that he had once met Dorothy Sayers, he never looked back. And one afternoon, calling and finding that Lady Bassett was away in the country, he took the girl's hand in his and told his love. For a while all was well. Amelia's reactions proved satisfactory to a degree. She checked up enthusiastically on his proposition. Falling into his arms, she admitted specifically that he was her Dream Man. Which option most accurately explains how the excerpt contributes to an understanding of the author's perspective?
"Dream Man" represents the ideal partner a woman looks for in a relationship. This term is used sarcastically to reflect the author's view that women can focus too much on searching for something unattainable.
Reread "Musée des Beaux Arts." Which option most effectively explains how the setting contributes to the overall meaning of the poem?
The poem depicts a busy scene; the fall of Icarus is barely seen or mentioned.
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup," which relates a conversation between Lester Mapledurham and Cyril. "Give me those jewels!" said Lester Mapledurham. Cyril was at a loss. "Jewels?" "Jewels!" "What jewels?" Lester Mapledurham tossed his head impatiently. ''I don't know what jewels. They may be the Wingham Pearls or the Bassett Diamonds or the Simpson Sapphires. I'm not sure which room it was I saw you coming out of." Which option most accurately identifies the author's perspective as it is revealed in the character of Lester?
The author presents Lester satirically to criticize men who feel that they must live up to the stereotype of being strong, manly, and fearless.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds, in which the narrator describes the first sighting of one of the Martians. Those who have never seen a living Martian can scarcely imagine the strange horror of its appearance. The peculiar V-shaped mouth with its pointed upper lip, the absence of brow ridges, the absence of a chin beneath the wedgelike lower lip, the incessant quivering of this mouth, the Gorgon groups of tentacles, the tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere, the evident heaviness and painfulness of movement due to the greater gravitational energy of the earth—above all, the extraordinary intensity of the immense eyes—were at once vital, intense, inhuman, crippled and monstrous. There was something fungoid in the oily brown skin, something in the clumsy deliberation of the tedious movements unspeakably nasty. Even at this first encounter, this first glimpse, I was overcome with disgust and dread. Which options accurately analyze the purpose of this lengthy description? (Select all that apply.)
The detailed description justifies the horror the narrator feels from this experience. The detailed description increases suspense because the narrator's dread implies something bad is going to happen.
Read the sentence from Rebecca, in which the narrator meets Mrs. Danvers. She came towards me, and I held out my hand, envying her for her dignity and her composure; but when she took my hand hers was limp and heavy, deathly cold, and it lay in mine like a lifeless thing. What options clearly explain the narrator's perspective regarding Mrs. Danvers upon meeting her for the first time? (Select all that apply.)
The narrator feels rejected by Mrs. Danvers's emotionless handshake and assumes that Mrs. Danvers already looks down upon her. The narrator is hurt by Mrs. Danvers's emotionless handshake because she had thought Mrs. Danvers would be excited to meet the new lady of the house.
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup," which describes Cyril's behavior at the party. After three rapid glasses he felt a better and braver man. And so lavishly did he irrigate the ensuring dinner with hock, sherry, champagne, old brandy, and port that at the conclusion of the meal he was pleased to find that his diffidence had completely vanished. He rose from the table feeling equal to asking a dozen Lady Bassetts for their consent to marry a dozen daughters. Which option most accurately explains how the author's use of words with multiple meanings contributes to an understanding of Cyril's character?
Although "irrigate" typically means providing water to help plants grow, in this excerpt it describes the way Cyril uses alcohol to boost his lagging confidence. This usage demonstrates how desperate Cyril is to please and impress the woman he hopes will be his mother-in-law.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds. Most of the spectators had gathered in one or two groups—one a little crowd towards Woking, the other a knot of people in the direction of Chobham. Evidently they shared my mental conflict. There were few near me. One man I approached—he was, I perceived, a neighbour of mine, though I did not know his name—and accosted. But it was scarcely a time for articulate conversation. "What ugly brutes!" he said. "Good God! What ugly brutes!" He repeated this over and over again. "Did you see a man in the pit?" I said; but he made no answer to that. We became silent, and stood watching for a time side by side, deriving, I fancy, a certain comfort in one another's company. What context clues accurately point to the meaning of the verb accosted in the excerpt? (Select all that apply.)
One man I approached for articulate conversation
Read the paragraph. The police had been trying to capture the leader of the arson ring for weeks. Having received the tip about the secret meeting place of the arsonists, the police surreptitiously wired the abandoned warehouse with microphones and video cameras in order to catch him discussing his next crime. Which options use the word surreptitiously as it is used in the paragraph? (Select all that apply.)
Reaching into the open bag next to her, the thief surreptitiously retrieved the leather wallet and stuffed it in her own purse before anyone could notice. Adam surreptitiously crept downstairs, hoping that his parents didn't notice his midnight escape.
Reread the excerpt from Rebecca. What options accurately explain how the author uses the frame structure to develop the characters in the story? (Select all that apply.)
The author uses the frame structure to introduce the main characters. By using sentences like "We would not talk of Manderley, I would not tell my dream," the author reveals that there are two main characters, but does not give any information about them, leaving the story shrouded in mystery. By using a frame structure that presents the end of the story before the beginning, the author reveals aspects of the narrator's character. Including details like "When I thought of Manderley in my waking hours I would not be bitter" shows that by the end of this story, the narrator will aim to be positive and put the negative past behind her.
Reread Chapter 7 of Rebecca, in which the story alternates between the narrator's daydreams and short conversations with her husband as they are traveling to Manderley. Which options effectively explain the main purpose of the structure of this chapter? (Select all that apply.)
The structure reveals the contrast between the realities of the drive and the vividness of the narrator's imagination. The structure emphasizes the analytical nature of the narrator and her hesitation to express herself to her husband.
Reread the poems "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas and "Song of a Man Who Has Come Through" by D. H. Lawrence. Which option most effectively analyzes how the authors of both poems address a common theme of anticipating the coming of death?
Thomas views death as a negative force against which to actively fight, while Lawrence sees death as a positive force to embrace.
Which excerpt from The War of the Worlds effectively reveals how the author relates the climax of the narrative through the narrator's thoughts?
All this had happened with such swiftness that I had stood motionless, dumbfounded and dazzled by the flashes of light. Had that death swept through a full circle, it must inevitably have slain me in my surprise. But it passed and spared me, and left the night about me suddenly dark and unfamiliar.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds. After the glimpse I had had of the Martians emerging from the cylinder in which they had come to the earth from their planet, a kind of fascination paralysed my actions. I remained standing knee-deep in the heather, staring at the mound that hid them. I was a battleground of fear and curiosity. What options most accurately analyze what the narrator achieves by using the metaphor in the sentence "I was a battleground of fear and curiosity"? (Select all that apply.)
By comparing himself to a battleground, the narrator shows that his turmoil is extreme, and that the events that have generated such strong feelings are extremely serious and violent. The narrator uses the metaphor to describe his fascination with the Martians as they exit the cylinder, providing him with a way to analyze his conflicting emotions. Fear paralyzes him, but curiosity forces him to remain in harm's way.
What option correctly distinguishes between flashback and framing in a narrative?
Flashback concerns information from previous events, whereas framing concerns the order of how the story is related.
Lesson 25
First Steps into the Modern World
Read the excerpt from "Strychnine in the Soup," in which Amelia describes her fear of what will happen if she secretly marries Cyril. "You don't know Mother. The moment she got that picture postcard, she would come over to wherever we were and put you across her knee and spank you with a hairbrush. I don't think I could ever feel the same toward you if I saw you lying across Mother's knee, being spanked with a hairbrush. It would spoil the honeymoon." Which option most accurately explains how this imagery contributes to the tone of the text?
The image of Lady Bassett spanking Cyril with a hairbrush is a laughable one, but it also lends a mocking tone to the text, as Amelia is revealing that Lady Bassett treats others as if they were inferior.
Which option most effectively contrasts the way the setting of the poem is developed as compared to the setting of the video?
The poem presents many metaphorical settings but ultimately reveals the real setting; the video does not appear to have any single real setting.
Read the passage from Rebecca, in which the narrator reflects upon the dream from which she is about to awaken. When I thought of Manderley in my waking hours I would not be bitter. I should think of it as it might have been, could I have lived there without fear. I should remember the rose-garden in summer, and the birds that sang at dawn. Tea under the chestnut tree, and the murmur of the sea coming up to us from the lawns below. Which responses accurately analyze the impact of the narrator's thoughts on the tone of the passage? (Select all that apply.)
The narrator decides to think only of her positive memories of Manderley. This creates a nostalgic tone. The narrator chooses to think only of the natural aspects of Manderley. This creates a peaceful tone. The narrator decides to forget about the bitterness she feels toward Manderley. This creates a tone of determination.
Which options most accurately name themes common in 18th-, 19th-, and early 20th-century British literature? (Select all that apply.)
the value of suffering the power of nature and beauty the longevity of art and culture
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds, in which the narrator reflects for the first time on the effects of the Martian attack. It came to me that I was upon this dark common, helpless, unprotected, and alone. Suddenly, like a thing falling upon me from without, came—fear. Which options most accurately analyze how the author structures this part of the text to develop elements of the narrative? (Select all that apply.)
By placing this revelation after instead of during the first attack by the Martians, the author indicates that further complications in the plot are in store. By placing this revelation after instead of during the first attack by the Martians, the author shows that the narrator's fear is new to him, which provides insight into the narrator's character. By placing this revelation after instead of during the first attack by the Martians, the author shows that the people were unprepared for what happened.
Which option correctly identifies an element of narrative text structure that provides information about events that have occurred earlier?
flashback
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds. A large portion of the cylinder had been uncovered, though its lower end was still embedded. As soon as Ogilvy saw me among the staring crowd on the edge of the pit he called to me to come down, and asked me if I would mind going over to see Lord Hilton, the lord of the manor. The growing crowd, he said, was becoming a serious impediment to their excavations, especially the boys. Which context clues effectively help indicate the meaning of the word excavations as it is used in the excerpt? (Select all that apply.)
edge of the pit had been uncovered was still embedded
Read the sentence from Rebecca. A lilac had mated with a copper beech, and to bind them yet more closely to one another the malevolent ivy, always an enemy to grace, had thrown her tendrils about the pair and made them prisoners. Which option is the correct synonym for malevolent?
evil
Read the excerpt from Rebecca. The gates had shut to with a crash behind us, the dusty high-road was out of sight, and I became aware that this was not the drive I had imagined would be Manderley's, this was not a broad and spacious thing of gravel, flanked with neat turf at either side, kept smooth with rake and brush. This drive twisted and turned as a serpent, scarce wider in places than a path, and above our heads was a great colonnade of trees, whose branches nodded and intermingled with one another, making an archway for us, like the roof of a church. Even the midday sun would not penetrate the interlacing of those green leaves, they were too thickly entwined, one with another, and only little flickering patches of warm light would come in intermittent waves to dapple the drive with gold. It was very silent, very still. Which option most clearly explains the relationship between the narrator's emotions and the setting?
The narrator's fears about coming to Manderley are reflected in the discomfort she feels about the loud gate, the twisting road, and the inconsistently warm sunlight.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds. I was at home at that hour and writing in my study; and although my French windows face towards Ottershaw and the blind was up (for I loved in those days to look up at the night sky), I saw nothing of it. Yet this strangest of all things that ever came to earth from outer space must have fallen while I was sitting there, visible to me had I only looked up as it passed. Some of those who saw its flight say it travelled with a hissing sound. I myself heard nothing of that. Many people in Berkshire, Surrey, and Middlesex must have seen the fall of it, and, at most, have thought that another meteorite had descended. No one seems to have troubled to look for the fallen mass that night. Which option accurately explains the use of flashback in this excerpt?
The flashback increases suspense. For example, when the narrator claims that he "loved in those days to look up at the night sky," he implies that he does not do that in the present but does not explain why.
