English 11
Which statement best compares the structure of "Harlem" and "The Weary Blues"?
"Harlem" is short and curious, while "The Weary Blues" is longer and unhappy.
Which excerpt from "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" contains an example of a simile?
After a few minutes there was a guffawing peal of thunder from behind and fantastic raindrops, like tin-can tops, crashed over the rear of Mr. Shiftlet's car.
Read this stanza from Allen Ginsberg's "A Supermarket in California." Will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage? In this stanza, the speaker wishes
America could be like it was when Whitman was alive.
Maya has earned high grades in honors algebra and is writing a letter to her principal asking to take other honors classes. Read her thesis statement, then answer the question. Based on my prior grades, participating in honors classes would help me. Which is the best revision of Maya's thesis statement?
Based on my grades in honors algebra, I believe I would do well in other honors classes.
Which excerpt from A Man's World contains a stage direction?
FRITZ—(Sitting at L. of desk.) No—but you—
Read this excerpt from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. One night, after what felt like a googolplex inventions, I went to Dad's closet. We used to Greco-Roman wrestle on the floor in there, and tell hilarious jokes, and once we hung a pendulum from the ceiling and put a circle of dominoes on the floor to prove that the earth rotated. How does the narration affect Oskar's credibility in this excerpt?
His fond recollections emphasize his genuine sincerity.
How does the author's use of a one-act climactic structure affect the emotional impact of part two of King Arthur's Socks: A Comedy in One Act?
Readers are swept into the swift action as it hastens to its climax.
What is the advantage of reading from three different perspectives in Cristina Garcia's Dreaming in Cuban?
The different perspectives underscore the larger idea that immigrants or exiles must shed their native traditions.
Which of the following sentences can be revised to eliminate redundancies?
The tall skyscrapers in New York City maximize the space of a small area.
Which excerpt from "First Generation" of Dreaming in Cuban is the best example of magic realism?
We camped out under a sapodilla tree and listened to the pygmy owls with their old women's voices.
In A Man's World, how does Crothers portray Frank, the female protagonist?
as a determined and independent woman who refuses to conform to societal expectations
Read the paragraph. Teaching the rambunctious group of canines at the obedience school was a great deal of work, but each instructor took a respite once the dogs were placed in their individual kennels. Which word is closest in meaning to the underlined word?
break
Read the excerpt from Jackie Robinson's letter to President Eisenhower. I respectfully remind you sir, that we have been the most patient of all people. When you said we must have self-respect, I wondered how we could have self-respect and remain patient considering the treatment accorded to us through the years. The "treatment" that Robinson refers to is most likely the
oppression and segregation imposed upon African Americans.
Read the excerpt from "First Generation" of Dreaming in Cuban. He stops at the ocean's edge, smiles almost shyly, as if he fears disturbing her, and stretches out a colossal hand. His blue eyes are like lasers in the night. The beams bounce off his fingernails, five hard blue shields. They scan the beach, illuminating shells and sleeping gulls, then focus on her. The porch turns blue, ultraviolet. Her hands, too, are blue. Celia squints through the light, which dulls her eyesight and blurs the palms on the shore. Which of the following is an example of a hyperbole?
"and stretches out a colossal hand"
Read the excerpt from Rudolfo Anaya's essay "Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry." Tortillas and poetry. They go hand in hand. Books nourish the spirit, bread nourishes our bodies. Our distinct cultures nourish each one of us, and as we know more and more about the art and literature of the different cultures, we become freer and freer. . . . I don't know anyone who doesn't like to sample different ethnic foods, the breads of many many groups; just as many of us enjoy sampling books from different areas of the world. I travel to foreign countries, and I know more about myself as I learn more about my fellow human beings. Censorship imposes itself in my path of knowledge, and that activity can be justified by no one. Which phrase from the excerpt best helps the reader identify the author's purpose?
"we know more and more about the art and literature of the different cultures"
Which sentence correctly punctuates a direct quotation from the publication Childhood Sports Injuries and Their Prevention?
According to the publication Childhood Sports Injuries and Their Prevention, "Any organized team activity should demonstrate a commitment to injury prevention."
Read the excerpt from A Man's World. FRITZ—Oh—but de talk—de talk—I can't stand it for you. When you go out like dis people don't believe it is for your work. They say you have a lover—they say he writes your books. FRANK—That's very flattering. It means that they think they are too good for a woman to do. Which best describes why this excerpt is ironic?
Frank should be insulted that people say that a man writes her books, but she actually views it as a compliment.
Read the excerpt from a New York Times review written about the play entitled A Man's World. Well, for one thing, as per the caption of Miss Rachel Crothers's play, that this is a man's world. But what is isn't necessarily right, though there are a lot of people who go on believing so. However, as Miss Crothers probably knows as well as any one, this play and many others equally strong and to the point will not change conditions. Which statement best describes this excerpt?
It contains the opinion of a person who saw A Man's World.
Read the excerpt from Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home." His father was in the real estate business and always wanted the car to be at his command when he required it to take clients out into the country to show them a piece of farm property. The car always stood outside the First National Bank building where his father had an office on the second floor. Now, after the war, it was still the same car. Nothing was changed in the town except that the young girls had grown up. How does Hemingway's description of the town as unchanged impact the readers' perception of Krebs?
It emphasizes that while the town has remained the same, Krebs has changed.
Read the excerpt from Anthem. This, my body and spirit, this is the end of the quest. I wished to know the meaning of things. I am the meaning. I wished to find a warrant for being. I need no warrant for being, and no word of sanction upon my being. I am the warrant and the sanction. These sentences articulate which philosophical concept?
Objectivism
Read the excerpt from part 5 of Zeitoun. For many of his clients, it took time for the insurance money to come through, for the FEMA money to appear, for any number of complications to work themselves out. But now things are moving. The city is rising again. Since Hurricane Katrina, Zeitoun A. Painting Contractor LLC has restored 114 houses to their former states, or improved versions thereof. What is the meaning of the excerpt?
Zeitoun's business is thriving with the rebuilding of New Orleans.
Read this excerpt from part 5 of Zeitoun. Progress is being made. It's so slow sometimes, so terribly so sometimes, but progress is being made. We have removed the rot, we are strengthening the foundations. There is much work to do, and we all know what needs to be done. We can only do the work, he tells Kathy, and his children, and his crew, his friends, anyone he sees. So let us get up early and stay late, and, brick by brick and block by block, let us get that work done. Which word best describes the tone of this excerpt?
supportive
Read this excerpt from "Not a Dove, But No Longer a Hawk." I remember distinctly the thrill of climbing aboard a U.S. Army helicopter in the cool of the morning and taking off across the rice fields with a South Vietnamese battalion for a day's jousting with the Vietcong guerillas. I was proud of the young American pilots sitting at the controls in the cockpit and I was grateful for the opportunity to witness this adventure and to report it. We are fighting now, I used to think, and some day we will triumph and this will be a better country. Based on this excerpt, it can be inferred that
the author once felt pride and optimism about the war.
Read the excerpt from "Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry." I do not believe we should have to leave out the crucial elements of our language and culture to contribute to American literature, but, unfortunately, this is a conclusion I am forced to reach. I have been writing for a quarter century, and have been a published author for eighteen years. As a writer, I was part of the Chicano Movement which created a new literature in this country. Which best describes how Anaya effectively uses rhetoric in the excerpt to convince readers that his conclusion is justified?
Anaya establishes his credibility as a published Chicano author by discussing his career experience.
Use the following definitions to answer the question. evade: 1. (verb) to cleverly escape somebody or something, to avoid invade: 1. (verb) to enter by force, to enter Which sentence contains correct word usage?
Corn leaf aphids invaded the crop and caused damage to the plants.
Read the excerpt from Fast Food Nation. Instead of relying upon a small, stable, well-paid, and well-trained workforce, the fast food industry seeks out part-time, unskilled workers who are willing to accept low pay. Teenagers have been the perfect candidates for these jobs, not only because they are less expensive to hire than adults, but also because their youthful inexperience makes them easier to control. Which of the following choices best presents a counterclaim to the argument presented in this excerpt?
Fast food restaurants are able to employ people who otherwise might not be able to find a job because of the low skill level required to perform the tasks.
Read the excerpt from the interview with E.Y. (Yip) Harburg. Everybody picked up the song in '30 and '31. Bands were playing it and records were made. When Roosevelt was a candidate for President, the Republicans got pretty worried about it. Some of the network radio people were told to lay low on the song. In some cases, they tried to ban it from the air. But it was too late. The song had already done its damage. Based on the excerpt and your knowledge of American history, which statement is most accurate?
Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, won the election of 1932.
Read the excerpt from "First Generation" of Dreaming in Cuban, by Cristina Garcia. She considers the vagaries of sports, the happenstance of El Líder, a star pitcher in his youth, narrowly missing a baseball career in America. His wicked curveball attracted the major league scouts, and the Washington Senators were interested in signing him but changed their minds. Frustrated, El Líder went home, rested his pitching arm, and started a revolution in the mountains. Which best explains how Garcia's word choice helps establish her voice in the excerpt?
Garcia uses short, forceful words to assert a pessimistic opinion on fate.
Which sentence best describes George Bergeron's characterization in "Harrison Bergeron"?
He is a dynamic character, because he attempts to remove his handicap bag.
Why does Mary seem frightened of Arthur and say that he always makes her think of her father in King Arthur's Socks: A Comedy in One Act?
He is a proper man governed by strict ethics.
Read the following excerpt from Leslie Marmon Silko's story "The Man to Send Rain Clouds." They turned off the highway onto the sandy pueblo road. Not long after they passed the store and post office they saw Father Paul's car coming toward them. When he recognized their faces he slowed his car and waved for them to stop. The young priest rolled down the car window. "Did you find old Teofilo?" he asked loudly. Leon stopped the truck. "Good morning, Father. We were just out to the sheep camp. Everything is O.K. now." "Thank God for that. Teofilo is a very old man. You really shouldn't allow him to stay at the sheep camp alone." "No, he won't do that any more now." What does this dialogue reveal about the priest's standing within the community?
He is considered to be an outsider.
Read the following scene from A Man's World. FRITZ—But you are a woman. You must not expect people to trust you—too much. FRANK—I'm not going to spend my life explaining. FRITZ—(Sitting at L. of desk.) No—but you— FRANK—Oh, Fritz, don't. You've been so nice and so comfortable. And now you're beginning to worry. You see how much better it would have been for both of us if I'd never told you anything about myself and about Kiddie. How would an audio production differ from a stage production of this scene?
Listeners would have to visualize the dress and movements of Fritz and Frank.
Read the following paragraph. The learning process at many schools is being compromised. Instead of focusing on their education, students are concerned with their appearances. Fashion choices are of higher importance than completing homework assignments and passing tests. In addition, many current clothing trends are entirely inappropriate for the school setting. School uniforms will remove these distractions and allow schools to once again become a place of learning. According to the author, what are the benefits of school uniforms?
School uniforms will allow students to focus on learning rather than on their appearances.
Read the excerpt from A Man's World. FRANK—Foolish? You mean going out alone? Good Heavens! You don't supose I'm going to give up all my chances of seeing and knowing and understanding just because a few silly people are talking about me? FRITZ—But you are a woman. You must not expect people to trust you—too much. FRANK—I'm not going to spend my life explaining. Which best describes Frank's intent when she says, "I'm not going to spend my life explaining"?
She becomes annoyed when she has to explain simple things to others.
Read the excerpt from part 1 of Zeitoun. In the neighborhood, other homes had been hit by all manner of debris. Windows had been blown out. Wet, black branches covered cars, the street. Everywhere trees had been pulled out of the earth and lay flat. The quiet was profound. The wind rippled the water but otherwise all was silent. No cars moved, no planes flew. A few neighbors stood on their porches or waded through their yards, assessing damage. No one knew where to start or when. What conclusion can readers draw about this society vs. nature conflict?
Society has become overwhelmed by nature.
Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue." Lately, I've been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as "broken" or "fractured" English. But I wince when I say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no other way to describe it other than "broken," as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. How does Tan build a central idea of her story in the excerpt?
Tan discusses her mother's use of English to build the idea that a form of language can be purposeful and meaningful even if it is nonstandard.
Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue." Just last week, I was walking down the street with my mother, and I again found myself conscious of the English I was using, the English I do use with her. We were talking about the price of new and used furniture and I heard myself saying this: "Not waste money that way." My husband was with us as well, and he didn't notice any switch in my English. And then I realized why. It's because over the twenty years we've been together I've often used that same kind of English with him, and sometimes he even uses it with me. It has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk, the language I grew up with. Which information from the excerpt best supports the inference that nonstandard forms of English can express relationship nuances that standard English cannot?
Tan uses the nonstandard English of her childhood with her husband because it expresses intimacy.
Read this excerpt from "Not a Dove, But No Longer a Hawk." I wonder, when I look at the bombed out peasant hamlets, the orphans begging and stealing on the streets of Saigon and the women and children with napalm burns lying on the hospital cots, whether the United States or any nation has the right to inflict this suffering and degradation on another people for its own ends. How do the allusions in this excerpt reinforce the meaning of the passage?
The allusions recall specific locations and horrors of the Vietnam conflict.
What is a major difference between the accounts presented in the primary source article "Prominent Farmer Robbed and Killed" and the secondary source Midnight Assassin?
The article initially suggests that the murder was likely committed by burglars, while the excerpt suggests a wider range of suspects.
Read this excerpt from "Not a Dove, But No Longer a Hawk." Despite these misgivings, I do not see how we can do anything but continue to prosecute the war. We can and should limit the violence and the suffering being inflicted on the civilians as much as possible, but for whatever reasons, successive Administrations in Washington have carried the commitment in Vietnam to the point where it would be very difficult to prevent any precipitate retreat from degenerating into a rout. If the United States were to disengage from Vietnam under adverse conditions, I believe that the resulting political and psychological shockwaves might undermine our entire position in Southeast Asia. Which statement best describes the paradox in this excerpt?
The author acknowledges that the violence should stop, but admits that a retreat might have dire consequences.
Read the excerpt from Richard Wright's Black Boy. "Mama, I'm hungry," I complained one afternoon. "Jump up and catch a kungry," she said, trying to make me laugh and forget. "What's a kungry?" "It's what little boys eat when they get hungry," she said. "What does it taste like?" "I don't know." "Then why do you tell me to catch one?" "Because you said that you were hungry," she said, smiling. Which best describes how Wright effectively conveys his personal experience?
The dialogue illustrates his mother's efforts to lighten his mood.
Read the excerpt from Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside that seemed to grow a little way into the house. A breeze blew through the room, blew curtains in at one end and out the other like pale flags, twisting them up toward the frosted wedding-cake of the ceiling, and then rippled over the wine-colored rug, making a shadow on it as wind does on the sea. Based on this excerpt, what inference can be made about the Buchanans?
The image of luxury and elegance that they project is unstable like the wind blowing through the room.
What is the speaker in "The Weary Blues" attempting to convey in his description of the scene?
a celebration of personal expression
Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail." The Negro has many pent up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. How does King conclude this claim?
by encouraging white leaders to allow nonviolent protests
Read the paragraph. Our school is considering mandating school uniforms next year. The student government supports school uniforms for a number of reasons. First, school uniforms save time. Students will not have to figure out what they will wear and thus will have more time to devote to their studies. They will be more focused on learning and less on appearance. Second, although there are up-front costs, uniforms will ultimately save families money. Finally, uniforms will promote a sense of equality because students are dressed the same regardless of economic status. This will encourage a greater sense of community at our school. What strategy does the author use in her choice of language to convey her message?
logic and reason
Read the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. —That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, —That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government. Which best describes the language in this excerpt?
passionate and logical
Read the excerpt from Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home." Nothing was changed in the town except that the young girls had grown up. They all wore sweaters and shirt waists with round Dutch collars. It was a pattern. He liked to look at them from the front porch as they walked on the other side of the street. He liked to watch them walking under the shade of the trees. He liked the round Dutch collars above their sweaters. He liked their silk stockings and flat shoes. He liked their bobbed hair and the way they walked. The author's short, descriptive sentences
reflect Krebs's thought process and his feelings about the girls.
Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail." The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation. Why does the author include these sentences?
to provide a contrast to his group's nonviolent efforts
Read the excerpt from Richard Wright's Black Boy. Hunger stole upon me so slowly that at first I was not aware of what hunger really meant. Hunger had always been more or less at my elbow when I played, but now I began to wake up at night to find hunger standing at my bedside, staring at me gauntly. The hunger I had known before this had been no grim, hostile stranger; it had been a normal hunger that had made me beg constantly for bread, and when I ate a crust or two I was satisfied. But this new hunger baffled me, scared me, and made me angry and insistent. Whenever I begged for food now my mother would pour me a cup of tea which would still the clamor in my stomach for a moment or two; but a little later I would feel hunger nudging my ribs, twisting my empty guts till they ached. I would grow dizzy and my vision would dim. I became less active in my play, and for the first time in my life I had to pause and think of what was happening to me. Which best describes why Wright includes this anecdote?
to realistically portray the struggles he endured as a child
Read the following scene from Trifles. COUNTY ATTORNEY (preoccupied). Is there a cat? (Mrs. Hale glances in a quick covert way at Mrs. Peters.) MRS. PETERS. Well, not now. They're superstitious, you know. They leave. COUNTY ATTORNEY (to Sheriff Peters, continuing an interrupted conversation.) No sign at all of anyone having come from the outside. Their own rope. Now let's go up again and go over it piece by piece. (They start upstairs.) It would have to have been someone who knew just the— (Mrs. Peters sits down. The two women sit there not looking at one another, but as if peering into something and at the same time holding back. When they talk now, it is the manner of feeling their way over strange ground, as if afraid of what they are saying, but as if they cannot help saying it.) How would an audio recording most likely convey the characters' actions during this scene?
with a change in each character's tone of voice
