Unit Test over Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
author of brown vs board of education
Chief Justice Earl Warren
author of on the road
Jack Kerouac
author of listening to your teacher take attendance
Aimee Nezhukumatathil
author of Marshall plan
Secretary of State George Marshall
(good man) Which of the following most closely expresses the point of view from which the story is told? A. Second-person omniscient B. First person C. Third-person omniscient D. Third-person limited
D
about Lorraine Hansberry
was a playwright and writer. She was the first African-American female author to have a play performed on Broadway. Her best known work, the play A Raisin in the Sun, highlights the lives of Black Americans living under racial segregation in Chicago.
(good man) How does the author mostly build a feeling of foreboding? A. With heavy symbolism B. With specific and striking detail C. With loud action sequences D. With a twist ending
B
Author of Death of a Salesman
Arthur Miller
about Secretary of State George Marshall
In 1947, Europe was reeling from the devastation of World War II. Governments lacked funds to rebuild roads, bridges and factories. People were sick and starving. At the same time, tensions were mounting between the Soviet Union and the United States. Although the superpowers had fought together against Nazi Germany during the war, the U.S. feared Russian expansion and the spread of Communism. The same year, Secretary of State George Marshall, a retired five-star general appointed to his position by President Truman, delivered a brief address at Harvard University that would have an enormous impact on Europe's recovery. In the four years following Marshall's speech, the U.S. sent billions of dollars in assistance to European nations, helping countries rebuild infrastructure and restore financial institutions.
about Chief Justice Warren
In 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education case overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision, finally outlawing segregation in public schools. Calling education "the very foundation of good citizenship," Chief Justice Warren affirmed the importance of an education. Warren quoted previous decisions, in which the court considered "intangible considerations" in their findings against segregated graduate schools. Furthermore,Warren cites the decision of a Kansas court which stated that segregation has a "detrimental effect upon colored children" because the forced separation connotes that they are inferior. In turn, inferiority stunts a child's motivation to learn, ruining their chances for healthy mental development. Therefore, the court concluded that "separate but equal" cannot be achieved in public schools, and schools that forced segregation were in violation of the 14th Amendment. was an American politician and jurist who served as Governor of California from 1943 to 1953 and Chief Justice of the United States from 1953 to 1969
Author of "Theme for English B"
Langston Hughes
(good man) Which phrase most likely expresses the author's stance in relation to her characters? A. Sentimental engagement B. Ironic detachment C. Scornful mockery D. They are her mouthpiece
B
(theme for english B) The poem is addressed directly to? A. the speaker's college instructor B. white people C. the speaker's class D. someone younger
A
author of ive been to the mountaintop
Martin Luther King Jr.
(good man) What is most closely the central idea of the passage below (paragraph 127)? Alone with The Misfit, the grandmother found that she had lost her voice. There was not a cloud in the sky nor any sun. There was nothing around her but woods. She wanted to tell him that he must pray. She opened and closed her mouth several times before anything came out. Finally she found herself saying, "Jesus. Jesus," meaning, Jesus will help you, but the way she was saying it, it sounded as if she might be cursing. A. The grandmother is so overcome by fear she cannot maintain control of her voice. B. The grandmother is angry at Jesus for letting her get into this situation C. The weather has become strange in response to what is transpiring with the Misfit D. The grandmother has lost her voice due to laryngitis
A
(listening to your teacher take attendance) Which of these inferences is best supported by the passage below (lines 17-22)? And whenall those necks start to crane, try not to forget someone once lathered their bodies, once patted themdry with a fluffy towel after a bath, set out their clothes for the first day of school. Think of their pencil casesfrom third grade, full of sharp pencils, a pink pearl eraser. A. The speaker is able to ease her discomfort by remembering that the students around her were once little kids who needed somebody else to take care of them. B. The speaker finds it interesting to think about what the lives of her classmates must be like. C. The speaker wishes she were a young child again. D. The speaker is fascinated by the fact that her classmates had parents who bathed them and set out their clothes because this is so different from the traditions in her own culture.
A
(mountain top) What is most likely the reason the speaker included the following passage (paragraph 12) in his speech? The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers. Now we've got to keep attention on that. That's always the problem with a little violence. You know what happened the other day, and the press dealt only with the window breaking? A. To show that violence causes a detrimental distraction from the issue at hand. B. To commend the local press for covering the strike as thoroughly as possible under the circumstances. C. To suggest that the window breaking is not that big of a deal. D. To inform the audience that the press is untrustworthy.
A
(mountaintop) What is most closely the central idea of the passage below (paragraph 36)? Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. A. The speaker suggests that he may not to live to see the day that African Americans experience true equality but he feels confident that justice will prevail. B. The speaker visited Mt. Nebo during his travels to the Middle East and from the summit he viewed the Promised Land. C. The speaker doesn't know how the sanitation workers' strike will come out. D. The speaker want to live a long life, so he is retiring from the Civil Rights movement.
A
(reasons and evidence brown v board) What is the main claim made in the closing of this decision? A. That the doctrine of "separate but equal" is unconstitutional as stipulated by the Fourteenth Amendment. B. That the doctrine of "separate but equal" is constitutional as stipulated by the Fourteenth Amendment. C. That the doctrine of "separate but equal" has no place in public education and is inherently racist. D. That the doctrine of "separate but equal" has deprived the plaintiffs of a high-quality education
A
(salesman) The following passage (line 9) mainly shows that? WILLY: How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand? In the beginning, when he was young, I thought, well, a young man, it's good for him to tramp around, take a lot of different jobs. But it's more than ten years now and he has yet to make thirty-five dollars a week! A. Willy cares deeply about money and prestige B. Willy feels guilty that he cannot offer his son more money C. Willy thinks his son is too lazy to work on a farm D. Willy does not care for menial labor
A
(the road) the narration in the passage below (paragraph 2) adds to the development of the text mainly by . "I'd been poring over maps of the United States in Paterson for months, even reading books about the pioneers and savoring names like Platte and Cimarron and so on, and on the roadmap was one long red line called Route 6 that led from the tip of Cape Cod clear to Ely, Nevada, and there dipped down to Los Angeles. I'll just stay on 6 all the way to Ely, I said to myself and confidently started. To get to 6 I had to go up to Bear Mountain. Filled with dreams of what I'd do in Chicago, in Denver, and then finally in San Fran, I took the Seventh Avenue subway to the end of the line at 242nd Street, and there took a trolley into Yonkers; in downtown Yonkers I transferred to an outgoing trolley and went to the city limits on the east bank of the Hudson River." A. conveying the narrator's enthusiasm and extensive preparation B. inviting readers to make predictions about what will happen next C. creating a sense of confusion in readers' minds D. helping readers follow along with the narrator's route on their own
A
about Aimee N
Aimee Nezhukumatathil (b. 1974) was born in Chicago to a Filipina mother and an Indian father. She is the author of three collections of poetry and currently serves as a professor in the MFA program at the University of Mississippi. In this poem, Nezhukumatathil uses vivid imagery and detail to evoke the speaker's feelings as her last name is mispronounced by yet another teacher.
(civil rights) Which of these sentences from the text most strongly supports the correct answer to Question 3? A. "All persons shall be entitled to be free, at any establishment or place, from discrimination or segregation of any kind on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin." B. "No person shall withhold, deny, or attempt to withhold or deny, or deprive or attempt to deprive, any person of any right or privilege secured by section 201 or 202." C. "For purposes of this section, 'commerce' means travel, trade, traffic, commerce, transportation, or communication among the several States." D. "The provisions of this title shall not apply to a private club or other establishment not in fact open to the public."
B
(good man) How does the conversation that takes place with the proprietor of The Tower most likely contribute to the story? A. It is presented as a necessary pit stop to add realism to the story B. The grandmother's worldview is given exposition and validation by at least one other person C. It discredits the grandmother's paranoia and fuzzy nostalgia D. It supplies local color and comic relief
B
(listening to your teacher take attendance) The following passage (lines 5-9) adds to the development of the text mainly by showing . ... Your teacher means well,even if he butchers your name like he has a bloody sausage casing stuckbetween his teeth, handprints on his white, sloppy apron ... A. that the speaker is frightened of her teacher's cruelty and viciousness B. the significant impact of the teacher's mistake through the use of visceral, violent imagery C. the way that words can often be more hurtful than intended D. that the teacher's lesson on butchering is not going well
B
(listening to your teacher take attendance) Which passage from the text most strongly supports the correct answer to the previous question? A. "And when all those necks start to crane" B. "try not to forget / someone once lathered their bodies, once patted them / dry with a fluffy towel after a bath" C. "Think of their pencil cases / from third grade" D. "full of sharp pencils, a pink pearl eraser."
B
(mountain top) Which of the following sentences best summarizes the speaker's reason for choosing "a few years in the second half of the Twentieth Century" as the time he would want to live if given the choice? A. In the second half of the Twentieth Century the world was a terribly messed up place full of trouble and confusion B. During this period, King says he could see God at work in people's lives in the way they were rising up and proclaiming a desire for freedom and justice. C. Airplane travel was becoming more common and the speaker wanted to visit Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; and New York City, among other destinations. D. The speaker had an interest in astronomy and the evenings were so dark during this time that the stars appeared brighter.
B
(mountain top) What is most closely the definition of process as it is used in the passage below (paragraph 22)? We are choosing these companies because they haven't been fair in their hiring policies; and we are choosing them because they can begin the process of saying they are going to support the needs and the rights of these men who are on strike. And then they can move downtown and tell Mayor Loeb to do what is right. A. noun | a summons, writ, or mandate requiring a person to appear in court B. noun | a series of steps followed in order to achieve a specific goal C. noun | a series of interdependent operations executed by a computer D. noun | a natural, involuntary phenomenon in which gradual ongoing changes lead to a particular result
B
(on the road) Which statement about the narrator is best supported by text evidence? A. The narrator thinks that all of his weeks of learning the geography of the U.S. were completely worthless. .B. The narrator is so frustrated with his naive planning that he is willing to do whatever it takes to get to his next destination as quickly as possible. C. The narrator thinks that those he encounters on his journey are aggravating and unhelpful. D. The narrator is arrogant and unwilling to consider that there might be a more efficient way to travel.
B
(postwar) Which of the following inferences is best supported by the passage below (paragraph 10)? In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in its landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that segregated education for whites and blacks was unconstitutional. Progress in desegregating schools was very slow and most schools remained segregated until African American communities took direct action. Inspired by the recent Supreme Court ruling, the NAACP began challenging the segregation of public facilities. On December 1, 1955, the secretary of the Montgomery, Alabama NAACP, refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Rosa Parks's action started a successful, year-long boycott of the city's segregated buses. A. Rosa Parks's efforts led to the desegregation of schools and public facilities. B. Government efforts alone were not enough to truly enact change. C. Progress in desegregating schools happened very quickly D. Public facilities were desegregated before schools
B
(postwar) Which of these quotations most strongly supports the correct answer to Question 5? A. "As victors of World War II, Americans developed a new consciousness as protectors of freedom and democracy." B. "The Double V Campaign emerged, as African American soldiers, fighting in segregated units, believed that if Americans could defeat Fascism abroad, then they could surely eradicate racism and Jim Crow rule at home." C. "For example, Martin Luther King Jr. frequently wove imagery and context from the Bible into his speeches." D. "Despite the importance of cities in the development of the United States, a deep distrust of urban life has also been a part of the U.S. character."
B
(postwar) Which of these inferences is best supported by your knowledge of the text? A. The postwar and civil rights eras had little to no impact on writers. B. African Americans believed their efforts in the war would positively impact race relations at home C. The rise in popularity of the suburbs is directly connected to the The Great Migration D. African American communities did little to fight segregation and end racial inequality
B
(postwar) Which sentence from the text best supports the correct answer to Question 7? A. "In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in its landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that segregated education for whites and blacks was unconstitutional." B. "Progress in desegregating schools was very slow and most schools remained segregated until African American communities took direct action." C. "Inspired by the recent Supreme Court ruling, the NAACP began challenging the segregation of public facilities." D. "On December 1, 1955, the secretary of the Montgomery, Alabama, NAACP refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Rosa Parks's action started a successful, year-long boycott of the city's segregated buses."
B
(salesman) Which of the following inferences about Willy is best supported by this passage (lines 21-24)? WILLY (with pity and resolve): I'll see him in the morning; I'll have a nice talk with him. I'll get him a job selling. He could be big in no time. My God! Remember how they used to follow him around in high school? When he smiled at one of them their faces lit up. When he walked down the street... (He loses himself in reminiscences.)LINDA (trying to bring him out of it): Willy, dear, I got a new kind of American-type cheese today. It's whipped.WILLY: Why do you get American when I like Swiss?LINDA: I just thought you'd like a change... A. Willy is often dismissive of Linda's attempts to fix their family and married life. B. It is difficult for Willy to accept change because he romanticizes the past. C. Willy worries about the family's financial situation and does not like to waste money on expensive food. D. Thinking about Biff's high school days makes Willy nostalgic for his own high school experience
B
(technical language brown v board) How does the author further refine the meaning of the word segregation as it is used in this passage? A. The author refines the meaning of the word segregation by mentioning it several times, illustrating the importance of the word in the text. B. The phrase "segregation with the sanction of law" confirms that as it is used here, the word does not describe mere discrimination but institutionalized racism. C. The author refines the meaning of the word segregation by defining it for the audience. D. The phrase "separating the races" serves to clarify by what means people are being segregated.
B
(technical language brown v board) Using context clues, determine the meaning of integrated as it is used in this passage. A. with various parts or aspects linked or coordinated B. desegregated C. indicating the mean value or total sum of a measurement D. two things combined so that they become a whole
B
(theme for english B) The poem "Theme for English B" is mainly told in the tense, from a point of view. A. past; first-person B. present; first-person C. present; third-person D. future; first-person
B
(word meaning brown v board) Which of the following phrases provides context that best explains the meaning of intangible as identified in Part A? A. "could not provide them equal educational opportunities" B. "incapable of objective measurement" C. "a Negro admitted to a white graduate school" D. "be treated like all other students"
B
(word meaning brown v board) difficult or impossible to define or understand; vague and abstract unable to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence unearthly, supernatural Which definition best fits the way the word intangible is used in paragraph 4? A. Definition 1 B. Definition 2 C. Definition 3 D. None of the above.
B
(civil rights act) According to the text, what type of lodging is exempt from the consequences of discrimination and does not fall under the category of a "public accommodation?" A large hotel chain B. A bed and breakfast that rents out at least ten rooms to guests C. A residence that doesn't rent out more than five rooms to guests D. A residence that rents out more than five rooms to guests
C
(good man) What most likely can be inferred from the passage below (paragraph 116)? The Misfit sneered slightly. "Nobody had nothing I wanted," he said. "It was a head-doctor at the penitentiary said what I had done was kill my daddy but I known that for a lie. My daddy died in nineteen ought nineteen of the epidemic flu and I never had a thing to do with it. He was buried in the Mount Hopewell Baptist churchyard and you can go there and see for yourself." A. The Misfit is trying to find a reason to let the grandmother go free B. The Misfit's father really did die of the Spanish Influenza C. The Misfit is mentally ill. D. The Misfit was unjustly incarcerated
C
(mountain top) Which of the following inferences is best supported by the passage below (paragraph 34)? And they were telling me, now, it doesn't matter, now. It really doesn't matter what happens now. I left Atlanta this morning, and as we got started on the plane, there were six of us, the pilot said over the public address system, "We are sorry for the delay, but we have Dr. Martin Luther King on the plane. And to be sure that all of the bags were checked, and to be sure that nothing would be wrong on the plane, we had to check out everything carefully. And we've had the plane protected and guarded all night." A. The weather in Atlanta had been very stormy, so the speaker's flight was delayed. B. The plane was having mechanical problems that delayed the flight C. Threats had been made against the speaker necessitating extra precautions before the flight. D. The speaker and his five travelling companions were late so they held the flight for them causing a delay.
C
(mountain top) Which passage from the text best supports the correct answer to Question 7? A. "Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead." B. "He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land." C. "I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land." D. "I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now."
C
(postwar) Which of the following answers best explains postwar optimism and pessimism? A. Most Americans felt optimistic after winning the war because opportunities were available to all citizens B. Winning the war left most American citizens feeling optimistic except those who did not fight C. Many citizens felt empowered after winning the war while others were disillusioned and traumatized by the horrors of war and the continued racial inequality in America D. Most Americans felt pessimistic after the war because they could not find and keep steady employment
C
(reasons and evidence brown v board) Which line from the passage best represents the reasoning that Chief Justice Warren uses to support the claim of this unanimous decision? AA. "The impact is greater when it has the sanction of the law, for the policy of separating the races is usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of the negro group." B. "Whatever may have been the extent of psychological knowledge at the time of Plessy v. Ferguson, this finding is amply supported by modern authority." C. "Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children." D. "A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn."
C
(salesman) Which of the following options best reflects Willy's feelings about his son in this excerpt? A. Willy wants Biff to follow in his footsteps as a salesman, but does not think that Biff could succeed at such a challenging career. B. Willy fears that he and Linda did not raise Biff properly and that his job as a farm hand is the result. C. Willy is frustrated that his son, who he cares about deeply, is not living up to the type of success or lifestyle that Willy values. D. Willy would do anything to help his son's career, because he feels guilty that his son has lost his way.
C
(theme for English b) Which of the following selections best identifies an important theme of the poem? A. The narrator is a black college student writing a homework assignment. B. The narrator likes the same things that people of other races prefer. C. The relationship between blacks and whites is complicated and often difficult. D. The narrator is the only "colored" student in the class.
C
(salesman) Which lines from the excerpt most strongly support the answer to Question 3? A. "'I'll see him in the morning; I'll have a nice talk with him. I'll get him a job selling. He could be big in no time.'" B. "'Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such—personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker.'" C. "'How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand?'" D. All of the above
D
(listening to your teacher take attendance) Which of the following statements most closely summarizes a theme of the poem? A. Being a teacher is one of the most challenging and underappreciated professions in America. B. Children are often cruel to one another, and it's important for them to learn the values of right and wrong without adults intervening. C. Because the educational system in the United States is so focused on assimilation, most students from diverse backgrounds feel like they have to give up their identities to fit in. D. Even though one may have positive intentions, a lack of sensitivity to cultural differences can lead to painful incidents for those whose identities lie outside of the majority.
D
(mountain top) The following passage (paragraph 20) mainly shows that . Now the other thing we'll have to do is this. Always anchor our external direct action with the power of economic withdrawal. Now, we are poor people. Individually, we are poor when you compare us with white society in America. We are poor. Never stop and forget, that collectively, that means all of us together, collectively, we are richer than all the nations in the world, with the exception of nine. Did you ever think about that? After you leave the United States, Soviet Russia, Great Britain, West Germany, France, and I could name the others, the American Negro collectively is richer than most nations of the world. We have an annual income of more than thirty billion dollars a year, which is more than all of the exports of the United States, and more than the national budget of Canada. Did you know that? That's power right there, if we know how to pool it. A. the speaker thinks that African Americans are too poor to effect change B. individually, African Americans would make more money if they lived in Canada C. the speaker makes thirty billion dollars a year D. as a group, African Americans have significant monetary power which can be exercised by using economic boycotts as a means of protest
D
(mountain top) Which sentence from the text best supports the correct answer to Question 5? A. "It really doesn't matter what happens now." B. "I left Atlanta this morning, and as we got started on the plane, there were six of us, the pilot said over the public address system, 'We are sorry for the delay, but we have Dr. Martin Luther King on the plane.'" C. "'And to be sure that all of the bags were checked, and to be sure that nothing would be wrong on the plane, we had to check out everything carefully.'" D. "'And we've had the plane protected and guarded all night.'"
D
(on the road) Which passage best supports the correct answer to Question 3? A. "All she wanted was for me to come back in one piece. So, leaving my big half-manuscript sitting on top of my desk, and folding back my comfortable home sheets for the last time one morning, I left with my canvas bag in which a few fundamental things were packed and took off for the Pacific Ocean." B. "What the hell am I doing up here?" I cursed, I cried for Chicago. "Even now they're all having a big time, they're doing this, I'm not there, when will I get there!" C. "I knew he was right. It was my dream that screwed up, the stupid hearthside idea that it would be wonderful to follow one great red line across America instead of trying various roads and routes." D. "I swore I'd be in Chicago tomorrow, and made sure of that, taking a bus to Chicago, spending most of my money, and didn't give a damn, just as long as I'd be in Chicago tomorrow."
D
(postwar) Which of the following statements best explains why the government forced thousands of Japanese Americans into internment camps following the bombing of Pearl Harbor? A. The Japanese government requested that Japanese Americans be imprisoned. B. The American government thought Japanese citizens would be kept safe in internment camps C. Japanese Americans were responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor D. Japan was responsible for the attack, and the American government began racially profiling Japanese Americans and imprisoning them out of fear.
D
(postwar) What is most closely the meaning of the word eradicate as it appears in the passage below (paragraph 5)? World War II has become enshrined in the American public memory as "the good war"—a heroic crusade against an evil enemy. But the United States's fight against Fascism highlighted the tension between a commitment to democracy and the experience of people of color in America. The Double V Campaign emerged as African American soldiers, fighting in segregated units, believed that if Americans could defeat Fascism abroad, then they could surely eradicate racism and Jim Crow rule at home. Answer choices for the above question A. to take out by the roots B. to get rid of by using chemicals C. to think harshly D. to completely wipe out
D
(postwar) Which of the following statements best explains what aspirational rhetoric actually is? A. It was primarily writing that sought to capture the experience of the American middle class B. It occasionally incorporated experimental writing that required very little revision. C. Some people thought of it as writing that told stories in scenes and incorporated dialogue. D. It was postwar writing that appealed to Americans' desire to spread democracy and protect freedom.
D
(the road) What is most closely the meaning of rigmarole as it is used in the passage below (paragraph 1)? I wrote back and said I'd be satisfied with any old freighter so long as I could take a few long Pacific trips and come back with enough money to support myself in my aunt's house while I finished my book. He said he had a shack in Mill City and I would have all the time in the world to write there while we went through the rigmarole of getting the ship. He was living with a girl called Lee Ann; he said she was a marvelous cook and everything would jump. A. | noun | chaos or confusion B. | noun | an act of cruelty C. | noun | a long or lengthy story D. | noun | a complicated or bureaucratic procedure
D
(theme for english b) Which line from the poem best supports the theme identified in Question 3? A. "You are white— / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you." B. "Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me. / Nor do I often want to be a part of you." C. "I guess you learn from me— / although you're older—and white— / and somewhat more free." D. All of the above.
D
about Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) delivered "I've Been to the Mountaintop" at Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee on April 3, 1968. King had been to Memphis a number of times in the spring of 1968 to show his support for African American sanitation workers who were striking to protest unfair working conditions. On March 29, the situation in Memphis exploded when looters broke away from a protest march led by King and vandalized businesses on Beale Street. Chaos ensued, resulting in injuries, arrests, and the death of one man. Devastated by the violence, King returned to Memphis several days later to refocus the campaign on nonviolence and the plight of the sanitation workers. "I've Been to the Mountaintop" was King's last speech. He was assassinated on the evening of April 4, 1968, outside of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.
about Arthur Miller
First performed in 1949, Arthur Miller's Pulitzer Prize-winning Death of a Salesman is a somber and penetrating exploration of the dark underbelly of the American Dream. Arthur Miller (1915-2005) was a major twentieth-century American playwright who sought to raise social awareness through his literary work. Miller's life and work were shaped by the Great Depression, and the fear of financial insecurity pervades Death of a Salesman.
author of a good man is hard to find
Flannery O'Connor
about flannery o conner
Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964) was one of a kind. A lifelong resident of Milledgeville, Georgia, and a devout Catholic, she produced in her short career some of the best American writing of the postwar period. Her style of Southern Gothic writing was characterized by elements of religion, morality, violence, and redemption.
about Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) was a poet and novelist often celebrated as the voice of a generation. Along with his friends Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, Kerouac was a key figure of what is remembered as the "Beat Generation"—a literary movement that endeavored to give literature a freedom that strayed from academics and rigid structure. This excerpt is from Kerouac's most widely read work, On the Road, a semi-autobiographical novel based on his own travels. As readers will come to witness in this excerpt, the beginning of a journey can often be the most challenging part.
Author of Hiroshima
John Hersey
about John Hersey
John Hersey (1914-1993) collected eyewitness accounts of life in Hiroshima after the detonation of a nuclear bomb and intended to release them in serial form in The New Yorker until the editors made a last-minute decision to devote an entire issue to Hersey's reporting. The 1946 article was an immediate sensation, giving Americans their first real understanding of the impact of a nuclear weapon. In this excerpt, Hersey describes some of the aftermath of the bombing.
author of a raisin in the sun
Lorraine Hansberry
author of the writings of pauli murray
Pauli Murray
about Langston Hughes
The writing of Langston Hughes (1902-1967) captured African American experiences and explored ideas that have resonated with generations of readers. Born and raised in the Midwest, Hughes relocated to New York in 1921 to attend Columbia University. Once there, he was introduced to Harlem, the place that would define his career as a writer. As he mingled with African American artists, including writers, musicians, and painters, he drew inspiration from his surroundings. Hughes eventually established himself as one of the leaders of the cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.
(civil rights act) Which of these statements best explains the following passage (EC.201.4d)? "Discrimination or segregation by an establishment is supported by State action within the meaning of this title if such discrimination or segregation (1) is carried on under color of any law, statute, ordinance, or regulation; or (2) is carried on under color of any custom or usage required or enforced by officials of the State or political subdivision thereof; or (3) is required by action of the State or political subdivision thereof." A. The State or political subdivision will properly punish the establishments that break the discrimination or segregation law. B. The State or political subdivision is not required to punish the establishments that break the discrimination or segregation law, except in extremely rare circumstances C. Enforcing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the job of the Supreme Court only. D. Enforcing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 might be difficult due to the amount of "loopholes" that are in the law.
a
about Pauli Murray
an American civil rights activist who became a lawyer, a women's rights activist, Episcopal priest, and author friends with Eleanor Roosevelt and Langston Hughes, served on a Presidential Commission, and helped launch the National Organization for Women with Betty Friedan
(good man) Which sentence from the text best supports the correct answer to Question 7? A. "Nobody had nothing I wanted," he said B. "It was a head-doctor at the penitentiary said what I had done was kill my daddy but I known that for a lie." C. "My daddy died in nineteen ought nineteen of the epidemic flu and I never had a thing to do with it." D. "He was buried in the Mount Hopewell Baptist churchyard and you can go there and see for yourself."
b
(civil rights) Which of these inferences is best supported by the passage below (SEC.203)? "No person shall (a) withhold, deny, or attempt to withhold or deny, or deprive or attempt to deprive, any person of any right or privilege secured by section 201 or 202, or (b) intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person with the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by section 201 or 202, or (c) punish or attempt to punish any person for exercising or attempting to exercise any right or privilege secured by section 201 or 202." A. The first two sections of the act (201 and 202) were not clear enough about the consequences of coercing, intimidating, threatening or punishing people for exercising any right or privilege secured by the act B. Although the act bans discrimination in public places, it failed to ban interference to the rights granted to people of all races, genders, cultures and religions C. No person should withhold the rights of others, but there's no law against attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce a person within the sections of the act D. Racial tensions were high in 1964, so the act had to make it clear that intimidating, threatening or punishing people for exercising their rights to public commerce was illegal
d
(good man) Which sentence from the text best supports the correct answer to Question 5? A. Alone with The Misfit, the grandmother found that she had lost her voice B. There was nothing around her but woods C. She opened and closed her mouth several times before anything came out. D. Finally she found herself saying, "Jesus. Jesus," meaning, Jesus will help you, but the way she was saying it, it sounded as if she might be cursing
d
