Language Arts - Chapter 9: Unity and Division

Identify whether each statement from Reagan's speech is a fact or an opinion.

"But progress is not foreordained. The key is freedom - freedom of thought, freedom of information, freedom of communication." ✔ opinion "You know, one of the first contacts between your country and mine took place between Russian and American explorers." ✔ fact "And that's why it's so hard for government planners, no matter how sophisticated, to ever substitute for millions of individuals working night and day to make their dreams come true." ✔ opinion "In our discussion today, we agreed on working up to several thousand exchanges a year from each country in the near future." ✔ fact

Chronological order is useful when a writer wants to help readers understand

details and connections about the story's events.

A substantiated opinion is best supported by

expert opinions.

Read the excerpt from Outcasts United. The conversation with Jeremiah settled Luma's mind on the question of Ashton's: it was time for her to admit her failure and walk away. But while the failure of Ashton's hurt Luma's ego, it was also an opportunity to focus her life on more important things. She wanted to start a business that could employ women like Beatrice, paying them fairly without making them commute halfway across Atlanta by bus or train. Luma's decision to walk away from Ashton's supports the theme

"Helping others is more important than a successful business."

Standing on the field on scrimmage day, waiting to speak to his coach, Fornatee said he had skipped the second tryouts as a matter of pride. "I wasn't going to come to tryouts," he said, "because I tried out. I love playing soccer," he added as he waited for Coach. "I love playing with my friends, but my friends aren't here. It's like you break up with your family. And this is why: don't nobody want to cut their hair. I want to play on the team, but I want to play on the team with my friends." I asked Fornatee what it felt like to be off Luma's team. "I'm not off the team," he snapped. "She hasn't called me, and I haven't called her. So in my opinion, I'm still on the team." -Outcasts United,Warren St. John In this excerpt, the narrator becomes part of the story when he speaks in first person. Which line shows a switch to first-person narration?

"I asked Fornatee what it felt like to be off Luma's team."

In the statement below, Reagan expresses the opinion that economic freedom is a powerful force. Which detail from his speech best substantiates this opinion? "We are seeing the power of economic freedom spreading around the world."

"Places such as the Republic of Korea, Singapore, [and] Taiwan have vaulted into the technological era, barely pausing in the industrial age along the way."

Which sentence best describes the context of "A Quilt of a Country"?

The piece was written in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country." What is the point of this splintered whole? What is the point of a nation in which Arab cabbies chauffeur Jewish passengers through the streets of New York—and in which Jewish cabbies chauffeur Arab passengers, too, and yet speak in theory of hatred, one for the other? What is the point of a nation in which one part seems to be always on the verge of fisticuffs with another, blacks and whites, gays and straights, left and right, Pole and Chinese and Puerto Rican and Slovenian? Other countries with such divisions have in fact divided into new nations with new names, but not this one, impossibly interwoven even in its hostilities. Which statement best summarizes the central idea of this paragraph?

America is a united country despite its cultural differences.

Which lines from President Reagan's Address at Moscow State University contain an opinion? Select 3 options.

But progress is not foreordained. The key is freedom—freedom of thought, freedom of information Perhaps most exciting are the winds of change that are blowing over the People's Republic of China And that's why it's so hard for government planners, no matter how sophisticated, to ever substitute for millions of individuals

Read the excerpt from Outcasts United. Jeremiah made the team. But when Beatrice Ziaty found out her son was sneaking off to play soccer with strangers after school, she became angry. "You're too small," Beatrice scolded him. "Don't go out of the house!" Jeremiah started to cry. He begged his mother to let him play, but Beatrice wasn't going to let anything bad happen to her son. And she certainly wasn't going to be defied—not after all she'd done to get the family here. Inside, though, Beatrice was torn. She knew an eight-year-old boy needed to run. She knew it wasn't fair to keep him confined to a small apartment all the time. "You say you have a coach," she finally said to Jeremiah. "Why you can't bring the coach to me to see?" "Momma," he said, "I will bring her." What is the effect of telling the events of this excerpt in the order in which they happen?

It allows the reader to experience the events as they occur.

Read the excerpt from Outcasts United. "She's a girl," he said. "She doesn't know what she's talking about." Luma ordered him to stand in goal. She took off her shoes as the boy waited beneath the crossbar, rocking back and forth and growing more anxious by the moment. She asked for a ball, which she placed on the grass. Then, barefoot, as the team looked on, she blasted a shot directly at the boy, who dove out of the way as the ball rocketed into the net. Luma turned toward her team. "Anybody else?" she asked. Based on Luma's actions, which statement best describes the theme in this excerpt?

Gender is not a defining factor in athletic ability.

What are the effects of using an omniscient narrator in this book? Check all that apply.

It gives the reader insight into the challenges faced by players and coaches alike. It allows the reader to see multiple sides of the story.

In the second half, the Seventeens took advantage of their size and experience. Their passes were crisp, and they chipped their way downfield, using their elbows to control the movements of the younger, smaller team. Again Peshawa juked around the Fifteens' midfielders and a toddler who had wandered onto the field, then tapped the ball around Hamdu Muganga, one of the two Somali Bantu brothers who had joined the Fifteens on defense. Peshawa scored; 2-1, the Seventeens now led. A few minutes later, Kanue was dribbling downfield and had just passed the ball when one of the older players took him out with a vicious tackle. Kanue rolled forward violently on his right shoulder and tumbled to a stop in the dust. He looked up for a whistle, but there was none. Luma was letting them play. Kanue was furious. -Outcasts United,Warren St. John What is the effect of telling the events during the soccer game in the order in which they happen?

It helps the reader experience the action of the game as it occurs.

Read the excerpt from Outcasts United. Perhaps no one in Clarkston was as excited to hear about the free soccer program as eight-year-old Jeremiah Ziaty. Jeremiah loved soccer. Since arriving in the United States with his mother, Beatrice, and older brothers, Mandela and Darlington, Jeremiah had been cooped up in his family's Clarkston apartment on strict orders from his mother. What conclusion can be drawn based on the thoughts and feelings revealed in the excerpt?

Jeremiah wants to join the soccer program.

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country." Today the citizens of the United States have come together once more because of armed conflict and enemy attack. Terrorism has led to devastation—and unity. Which statement best explains the role context plays in better understanding this excerpt?

Knowing that Quindlen wrote this piece after the 9/11 attacks helps readers understand her viewpoint, which is that tragedy unites people.

Number the events to show the order in which they occur. Use 1 for the first event.

Luma offers to meet Jeremiah's mom and drive Jeremiah to and from practice. ✔ 4 Jeremiah tries out for the soccer team. ✔ 1 Jeremiah is not allowed to play soccer because his mother does not want him around strangers. ✔ 3 Jeremiah makes the team. ✔ 2 Jeremiah's mother agrees to the plan. ✔ 5

Read the excerpt from Outcasts United. Teachers learned to call Luma when her players' parents couldn't be found or were at work. The families showed their gratitude by offering Luma tea and inviting her to dinner. Luma felt needed, and couldn't help but notice how much better this kind of work felt than running Ashton's. In fact, Ashton's was losing money—and fast. Luma was worried. She didn't want to disappoint her investors, and she had wanted more than anything to prove to her parents that she could succeed on her own. But lately, she had begun to wonder how much longer she could keep the place open. Whose thoughts and feelings are revealed by the narrator?

Luma's

Which line from President Reagan's Address at Moscow State University best substantiates his opinion that small businesses are moving the technological revolution?

One of the largest personal computer firms in the United States was started by two college students, no older than you, in the garage behind their home.

Which statements about Outcasts United express theme? Check all that apply.

One person can help many others. Sports can unite people.

Read the excerpt from Outcasts United. Somehow, Luma would have to find a way to get all these kids to play as a unit. "It was about trying to figure out what they have in common," she said. While Luma was trying to find a way to get the kids to play together, she was also getting to know their parents, most of whom were single mothers. She quickly discovered that these women needed help—mostly in understanding paperwork. With her Arabic and French, Luma was able to translate documents and answer some of their questions. She made appointments with doctors and social workers. Luma gave her cell phone number to her players and their families, and soon they were calling with requests for help. Teachers learned to call Luma when her players' parents couldn't be found or were at work. The families showed their gratitude by offering Luma tea and inviting her to dinner. Luma felt needed, and couldn't help but notice how much better this kind of work felt than running Ashton's. Based on Luma's actions, which statement best describes the theme in this excerpt?

One person can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

Which line from President Reagan's Address at Moscow State University shows that one purpose of the speech was to build connections between the Soviet Union and the US?

Our ties to you are more than ones of good feeling; they're ties of kinship.

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country." America is an improbable idea. A mongrel nation built of ever-changing disparate parts, it is held together by a notion, the notion that all men are created equal, though everyone knows that most men consider themselves better than someone. "Of all the nations in the world, the United States was built in nobody's image," the historian Daniel Boorstin wrote. That's because it was built of bits and pieces that seem discordant, like the crazy quilts that have been one of its great folk-art forms, velvet and calico and checks and brocades. Out of many, one. That is the ideal. Which statement best explains the role context plays in better understanding this excerpt?

Quindlen uses the context of American diversity to help readers rethink the concept of American identity and understand that she supports the idea of unity among Americans of all cultures.

Read the excerpt from President Ronald Reagan's Address at Moscow State University. But I hope you know I go on about these things not simply to extol the virtues of my own country but to speak to the true greatness of the heart and soul of your land. Who, after all, needs to tell the land of Dostoyevsky about the quest for truth, the home of Kandinsky and Scriabin about imagination, the rich and noble culture of the Uzbek man of letters Alisher Navoi about beauty and heart? The great culture of your diverse land speaks with a glowing passion to all humanity. Which statement about this excerpt is correct?

Reagan uses allusion to remind his audiences of Russian authors whose writings support his argument.

Read the excerpt from Outcasts United. Luma ordered him to stand in goal. She took off her shoes as the boy waited beneath the crossbar, rocking back and forth and growing more anxious by the moment. She asked for a ball, which she placed on the grass. Then, barefoot, as the team looked on, she blasted a shot directly at the boy, who dove out of the way as the ball rocketed into the net. Luma turned toward her team. "Anybody else?" she asked. Take a look at this chart of Luma's actions listed in chronological order. Which sentence best fills in the blank?

She asks for the ball.

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country." Once these disparate parts were held together by a common enemy, by the fault lines of world wars and the electrified fence of communism. With the end of the cold war there was the creeping concern that without a focus for hatred and distrust, a sense of national identity would evaporate, that the left side of the hyphen—African-American, Mexican-American, Irish-American—would overwhelm the right. What does the use of the term fault lines reveal about how the author views world wars?

She believes that world wars are harmful to people.

Read the excerpt from President Ronald Reagan's Address at Moscow State University. The explorers of the modern era are the entrepreneurs, men with vision, with the courage to take risks and faith enough to brave the unknown. These entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States. They are the prime movers of the technological revolution. In fact, one of the largest personal computer firms in the United States was started by two college students, no older than you, in the garage behind their home. Some people, even in my own country, look at the riot of experiment that is the free market and see only waste. What of all the entrepreneurs that fail? Well, many do, particularly the successful ones; often several times. And if you ask them the secret of their success, they'll tell you it's all that they learned in their struggles along the way; yes, it's what they learned from failing. Like an athlete in competition or a scholar in pursuit of the truth, experience is the greatest teacher. Which is a substantiated opinion?

Small businesses are the reason America has a strong economy.

Read the excerpt from Outcasts United. Luma pulled her Volkswagen Beetle into the center's parking lot on a sunny June afternoon in 2004, before her team's first tryouts. She wasn't sure what kind of response her flyers had generated among the boys in the complexes around Clarkston. They were naturally wary. But on the other side of town, Jeremiah Ziaty had no doubt about his enthusiasm for the new team. His mother was still at work when he set out from the family's apartment, a small backpack on his shoulder, ready to play. When Jeremiah arrived at the center, he joined twenty-two other boys on the small field behind the building. Which statement best describes how the author is developing the plot in this excerpt?

The author is describing two plots at the same time before moving on with the chronological order of the story.

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country." What is the point of this splintered whole? What is the point of a nation in which Arab cabbies chauffeur Jewish passengers through the streets of New York—and in which Jewish cabbies chauffeur Arab passengers, too, and yet speak in theory of hatred, one for the other? What is the point of a nation in which one part seems to be always on the verge of fisticuffs with another, blacks and whites, gays and straights, left and right, Pole and Chinese and Puerto Rican and Slovenian? Other countries with such divisions have in fact divided into new nations with new names, but not this one, impossibly interwoven even in its hostilities. Once these disparate parts were held together by a common enemy, by the fault lines of world wars and the electrified fence of communism. With the end of the cold war there was the creeping concern that without a focus for hatred and distrust, a sense of national identity would evaporate, that the left side of the hyphen—African-American, Mexican-American, Irish-American—would overwhelm the right. And slow-growing domestic traumas like economic unrest and increasing crime seemed more likely to emphasize division than community. Today the citizens of the United States have come together once more because of armed conflict and enemy attack. Terrorism has led to devastation—and unity. Which statement best traces the development of a central idea from one paragraph to the next?

The first paragraph describes different groups of Americans. The second paragraph discusses what unifies them.

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country." America is an improbable idea. A mongrel nation built of ever-changing disparate parts, it is held together by a notion, the notion that all men are created equal, though everyone knows that most men consider themselves better than someone. "Of all the nations in the world, the United States was built in nobody's image," the historian Daniel Boorstin wrote. That's because it was built of bits and pieces that seem discordant, like the crazy quilts that have been one of its great folk-art forms, velvet and calico and checks and brocades. Out of many, one. That is the ideal. The reality is often quite different, a great national striving consisting frequently of failure. Many of the oft-told stories of the most pluralistic nation on earth are stories not of tolerance, but of bigotry. Slavery and sweatshops, the burning of crosses and the ostracism of the other. Children learn in social-studies class and in the news of the lynching of blacks, the denial of rights to women, the murders of gay men. It is difficult to know how to convince them that this amounts to "crown thy good with brotherhood," that amid all the failures is something spectacularly successful. Perhaps they understand it at this moment [in the aftermath of 9/11], when enormous tragedy, as it so often does, demands a time of reflection on enormous blessings. Which statement best traces the development of a central idea from one paragraph to the next?

The first paragraph discusses the idea that Americans are united as one despite their differences. The second paragraph discusses the idea that acts of intolerance make it difficult to believe that Americans are united as one.

Paragraph 1: Once these disparate parts were held together by a common enemy, by the fault lines of world wars and the electrified fence of communism. With the end of the cold war there was the creeping concern that without a focus for hatred and distrust, a sense of national identity would evaporate, that the left side of the hyphen - African-American, Mexican-American, Irish-American - would overwhelm the right. And slow-growing domestic traumas like economic unrest and increasing crime seemed more likely to emphasize division than community. Today the citizens of the United States have come together once more because of armed conflict and enemy attack. Terrorism has led to devastation - and unity. -"A Quilt of a Country,"Anna Quindlen Paragraph 2: Yet even in 1994, the overwhelming majority of those surveyed by the National Opinion Research Center agreed with this statement: "The U.S. is a unique country that stands for something special in the world." One of the things that it stands for is this vexing notion that a great nation can consist entirely of refugees from other nations, that people of different, even warring religions and cultures can live, if not side by side, [then] on either side of the country's Chester Avenues. Faced with this diversity there is little point in trying to isolate anything remotely resembling a national character, but there are two strains of behavior that, however tenuously, abet the concept of unity. Which statement best traces the development of a central idea from one paragraph to the next?

The first paragraph discusses what unifies Americans; the second describes America's uniqueness among nations.

This is a nation founded on a conundrum, what Mario Cuomo has characterized as "community added to individualism." These two are our defining ideals; they are also in constant conflict. Historians today bemoan the ascendancy of a kind of prideful apartheid in America, saying that the clinging to ethnicity, in background and custom, has undermined the concept of unity. These historians must have forgotten the past, or have gilded it. -"A Quilt of a Country,"Anna Quindlen Which statement best summarizes the central idea of this paragraph?

The ideals of individualism and community have always been in conflict with one another in America.

Read the excerpt from Outcasts United. A few minutes later, Luma arrived. Members of the Under Fifteens and Seventeens were warming up when she walked onto the field past Fornatee, without making eye contact. Luma blew her whistle and told the two teams to gather at opposite ends of the field. "She's more than a coach—that's why," Fornatee said, almost to himself. "She's a great person. I'm going to go over there and tell her, 'That's my team.'" Fornatee hesitated. I asked him if he was nervous about talking to Coach. He laughed anxiously, then composed himself. "Nah—I'm not nervous," he said. What conclusion can be drawn about this scene based on the narrator's decision to write in the first-person point of view?

The narrator experienced this event in person.

The theme of a text is the

message the text conveys about a topic.

Standing on the field on scrimmage day, waiting to speak to his coach, Fornatee said he had skipped the second tryouts as a matter of pride. "I wasn't going to come to tryouts," he said, "because I tried out. I love playing soccer," he added as he waited for Coach. "I love playing with my friends, but my friends aren't here. It's like you break up with your family. And this is why: don't nobody want to cut their hair. I want to play on the team, but I want to play on the team with my friends." I asked Fornatee what it felt like to be off Luma's team. "I'm not off the team," he snapped. "She hasn't called me, and I haven't called her. So in my opinion, I'm still on the team." -Outcasts United,Warren St. John What conclusion can be drawn about this scene based on the narrator's decision to write in the first-person point of view?

The narrator is there experiencing the events.

Read the excerpt from Outcasts United. Perhaps no one in Clarkston was as excited to hear about the free soccer program as eight-year-old Jeremiah Ziaty. Jeremiah loved soccer. Since arriving in the United States with his mother, Beatrice, and older brothers, Mandela and Darlington, Jeremiah had been cooped up in his family's Clarkston apartment on strict orders from his mother. After she was mugged on her very first commute home from her job at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, Beatrice had taken a hard line. She wanted the boys inside when they got home from school. When Jeremiah asked his mother if he could try out for the new soccer team in town, she stood her ground. "Certainly I say, Jeremiah," Beatrice told him, "you won't play soccer every day." Keeping chronological order in mind, what question would a reader most likely ask after reading this excerpt?

Will Jeremiah obey his mother or will he secretly join the soccer program?

Read the excerpt from President Reagan's Address at Moscow State University. Even as we explore the most advanced reaches of science, we're returning to the age-old wisdom of our culture, a wisdom contained in the book of Genesis in the Bible . . . In this excerpt, Reagan uses

allusion to give his speech more authority.

How can a reader trace how an author develops a central idea throughout a text? Check all that apply.

by determining the central idea of each paragraph by identifying the most important details used to support the central idea of each paragraph by summarizing the central idea and key details of each paragraph in a single sentence by finding the common element among the central ideas throughout the text

At the same time, the growth of democracy has become one of the most powerful political movements of our age. In Latin America in the 1970s, only a third of the population lived under democratic government; today over 90 percent does. In the Philippines, in the Republic of Korea, free, contested, democratic elections are the order of the day. Throughout the world, free markets are the model for growth. Democracy is the standard by which governments are measured. -Address at Moscow State UniversityRonald Reagan How does Reagan substantiate his opinion that democracy is a powerful force?

by giving examples of countries that have become democracies

Which are important to consider when identifying the purpose of a speech? Select 4 options.

cultural context central ideas language audience

When photographs of the faces of all those who died in the World Trade Center destruction are assembled in one place, it will be possible to trace in the skin color, the shape of the eyes and the noses, the texture of the hair, a map of the world. These are the representatives of a mongrel nation that somehow, at times like this, has one spirit. Like many improbable ideas, when it actually works, it's a wonder. -"A Quilt of a Country,"Anna Quindlen What techniques does Quindlen use to support the idea that America becomes one in the face of tragedy? Check all that apply.

emotional language vivid imagery

Which of these words has a negative connotation?

furious

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country." America is an improbable idea. A mongrel nation built of ever-changing disparate parts, it is held together by a notion, the notion that all men are created equal, though everyone knows that most men consider themselves better than someone. "Of all the nations in the world, the United States was built in nobody's image," the historian Daniel Boorstin wrote. That's because it was built of bits and pieces that seem discordant, like the crazy quilts that have been one of its great folk-art forms, velvet and calico and checks and brocades. Out of many, one. That is the ideal. Which word from the excerpt carries a positive connotation?

ideal

A word's denotation is

its literal meaning.

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country." America is an improbable idea. A mongrel nation built of ever-changing disparate parts, it is held together by a notion, the notion that all men are created equal, though everyone knows that most men consider themselves better than someone. "Of all the nations in the world, the United States was built in nobody's image," the historian Daniel Boorstin wrote. That's because it was built of bits and pieces that seem discordant, like the crazy quilts that have been one of its great folk-art forms, velvet and calico and checks and brocades. Out of many, one. That is the ideal. Which techniques does the author use to develop her idea in this excerpt? Check all that apply.

metaphors contradictions loaded language imagery

One purpose of President Reagan's Address at Moscow State University was to

persuade listeners to embrace democratic freedoms.

President Reagan's speech was mainly written to

persuade the audience.

Who tells the story and how it is told are known as

point of view.

The recurrence of words or phrases in a rhetorical device is known as

repetition

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country." Once these disparate parts were held together by a common enemy, by the fault lines of world wars and the electrified fence of communism. With the end of the cold war there was the creeping concern that without a focus for hatred and distrust, a sense of national identity would evaporate, that the left side of the hyphen—African-American, Mexican-American, Irish-American—would overwhelm the right. What is the connotative meaning of fault lines in this excerpt?

something powerful and threatening

Our ties to you are more than ones of good feeling; they're ties of kinship. In America, you'll find Russians, Armenians, Ukrainians, peoples from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. They come from every part of this vast continent, from every continent, to live in harmony, seeking a place where each cultural heritage is respected, each is valued for its diverse strengths and beauties and the richness it brings to our lives. -Address at Moscow State UniversityRonald Reagan What is Reagan's purpose in this section of his speech?

to convince students that Americans and Soviets are connected like family

Making a bandwagon appeal in a persuasive speech is an example of using

unsubstantiated opinion.

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country." The New York of my children is no more Balkanized, probably less so, than the Philadelphia of my father, in which Jewish boys would walk several blocks out of their way to avoid the Irish divide of Chester Avenue. (I was the product of a mixed marriage, across barely bridgeable lines: an Italian girl, an Irish boy. How quaint it seems now, how incendiary then.) The Brooklyn of Francie Nolan's famous tree, the Newark of which Portnoy complained, even the uninflected WASP suburbs of Cheever's characters: they are ghettos, pure and simple. Do the Cambodians and the Mexicans in California coexist less easily today than did the Irish and Italians of Massachusetts a century ago? You know the answer. What technique does Quindlen use to support the idea that America is less polarized now than it was in past history?

vivid imagery

Passage A: The fact is, bureaucracies are a problem around the world. There's an old story about a town - it could be anywhere - with a bureaucrat who is known to be a good-for-nothing, but he somehow had always hung on to power. So one day, in a town meeting, an old woman got up and said to him: "There is a folk legend here where I come from that when a baby is born, an angel comes down from heaven and kisses it on one part of its body. If the angel kisses him on his hand, he becomes a handyman. If he kisses him on his forehead, he becomes bright and clever. And I've been trying to figure out where the angel kissed you so that you should sit there for so long and do nothing." -Address at Moscow State UniversityRonald Reagan Passage B: We Americans make no secret of our belief in freedom. In fact, it's something of a national pastime. Every four years the American people choose a new president, and 1988 is one of those years. At one point there were thirteen major candidates running in the two major parties, not to mention all the others, including the Socialist and Libertarian candidates - all trying to get my job. About 1,000 local television stations, 8,500 radio stations, and 1,700 daily newspapers - each one an independent, private enterprise, fiercely independent of the government - report on the candidates, grill them in interviews, and bring them together for debates. -Address at Moscow State UniversityRonald Reagan What is the main opinion Reagan gives in Passage A? What is the main opinion Reagan gives in Passage B? Which opinion does he substantiate with facts?

✔ Bureaucracies are a world problem. ✔ Americans do not hide their love of freedom. ✔ the opinion about Americans and freedom

Once these disparate parts were held together by a common enemy, by the fault lines of world wars and the electrified fence of communism. With the end of the cold war there was the creeping concern that without a focus for hatred and distrust, a sense of national identity would evaporate, that the left side of the hyphen - African-American, Mexican-American, Irish-American - would overwhelm the right. -"A Quilt of a Country,"Anna Quindlen What is the denotative meaning of "electrified fence"? What is the connotative meaning of "electrified fence" in the passage? What does the use of this phrase reveal about how the author views communism?

✔ a fence with an electric current ✔ something dangerous and painful ✔ She believes that communism is oppressive.

Historians today bemoan the ascendancy of a kind of prideful apartheid in America, saying that the clinging to ethnicity, in background and custom, has undermined the concept of unity. -"A Quilt of a Country,"Anna Quindlen What connotation does the word "bemoan" have? What does the use of this word suggest about Quindlen's opinion of the historians' ideas?

✔ negative: "complain without fixing anything" ✔ She disagrees with them.

A fact is true and can be proven, while a(n) is someone's belief or idea.

✔ opinion

A rhetorical device uses language to

✔ persuade