Letter to John Adams
In her letter dated March 31, 1776, what is Abigail Adams’s main argument regarding the creation of new laws for the new nation?
A. The founding fathers should remember the rights of women and grant them representation.
B. The new laws should give unlimited power to husbands over their wives.
C. The colonies should remain loyal to the British Crown to avoid civil unrest.
D. Women should be exempted from paying all taxation to the government.
A. The founding fathers should remember the rights of women and grant them representation.
Based on the excerpt describing Booker T. Washington’s arrival at Hampton Institute, why did he sweep the recitation room three times and dust it four times?
A. He was forced to do so as a punishment for arriving late to the school.
B. The head teacher explicitly ordered him to clean every surface before admitting him.
C. He knew that meticulous cleanliness was his only opportunity to prove his worthiness.
D. He wanted to show the other students that he was superior to them in manual labor.
C. He knew that meticulous cleanliness was his only opportunity to prove his worthiness.
Choose the grammatically correct option to complete the sentence: Neither the principal nor the teachers _____ able to attend the conference yesterday.
A. were
B. was
C. is
D. has been
A. were
Which statement best expresses a central idea of "The Masque of the Red Death"?
A. True friendship can overcome even the most fatal diseases.
B. Wealth and power cannot protect anyone from the inevitability of death.
C. Art and music are effective tools for distracting people from grief.
D. A ruler’s primary duty is to ensure the absolute safety of his nobles.
B. Wealth and power cannot protect anyone from the inevitability of death.
"Even though the rest of the committee was eager to vote immediately, Maya remained skeptical about the proposal, asking to review the budget numbers one more time before making up her mind."
In this context, what does the word "skeptical" mean.
A) Enthusiastic
B) Confused
C) Doubtful
D) Indifferent
C) Doubtful
Read this line from Abigail Adams's letter: "...remember the ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands."
What is the best definition of unlimited in this context?
A. Temporary
B. Unrestricted / Absolute
C. Shared equal power
D. Financial support
B. Unrestricted / Absolute
Read this line from the text: "I swept the recitation room three times. Then I got a dusting-cloth and I dusted it four times... I had the feeling that in a large measure my future depended upon the impression I made."
What does Washington mean by this statement?
A. He was worried he would be sent home if he broke any school rules.
B. He believed that becoming a janitor was his primary career goal in life.
C. He recognized that this physical task was his formal entrance examination.
D. He felt that the head teacher was being unfair and overly strict with him.
C. He recognized that this physical task was his formal entrance examination.
Which statement BEST expresses the theme of Walt Whitman's "Miracles" poem?
A) People do not witness miracles often
B) All of life is amazing, but people may not view it that way
C) Nature is beautiful, but people tend to take it for granted
D) Most people do not believe miracles can really happen
B) All of life it amazing, but people may not view it that way
Read this line from the story: "The mask which covered the visage was made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse that the closest scrutiny must have difficulty in detecting the cheat."
What is the best definition of the word scrutiny as it is used in the sentence?
A. Distance
B. Ignorance
C. Examination
D. Disapproval
C. Examination
"The winter cold began to subside by late afternoon as the sun came out, allowing the snow on the driveway to melt and making the roads much safer to drive on."
In this context, what does the word "subside" mean?
A) Lessen
B) Intensify
C) Freeze
D) Return
A) Lessen
Which phrase from the letters BEST demonstrates Abigail Adams's sharp, direct tone when warning her husband about women’s rights?
A. "I long to hear that you have declared an independency."
B. "The building of the Fleet is an Object that takes up much of my attention."
C. "I have sometimes been ready to think that the passion for Liberty cannot be EQL..."
D. "If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion..."
D. "If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion..."
Which statement reveals the connection between TWO central ideas in the excerpt?
A. Because Washington was poor, he was completely unable to gain admission to higher education.
B. Booker T. Washington believed that physical labor was far more important than academic learning.
C. Although the head teacher disliked Washington, she accepted him because of his high test scores.
D. Through sheer determination and meticulous effort, Washington overcame poverty to secure an education.
D. Through sheer determination and meticulous effort, Washington overcame poverty to secure an education.
Based on Susan B. Anthony's speech, why does she quote the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution?
A. To prove that the founding fathers intended to establish a monarchy.
B. To show that "we, the people" includes all citizens, including women.
C. To argue that state law always overrides the federal constitution.
D. To demand that a brand-new constitution be drafted immediately.
B. To show that "we, the people" includes all citizens, including women.
How does the chiming of the ebony clock every hour contribute to the overall mood of the story?
A. It creates a feeling of joy by marking how long the party has lasted.
B. It interrupts the festivities to remind the guests of their impending mortality.
C. It shows that Prince Prospero’s domain is technologically advanced.
D. It signal to the servants when to bring out fresh food and drinks.
B. It interrupts the festivities to remind the guests of their impending mortality.
"After hours of negotiation, the two rival companies were able to reach a candid discussion, speaking honestly about their concerns and finally settling the contract dispute."
In this context, what does the word "candid" mean?
A) Secretive
B) Brief
C) Hostile
D) Frank and honest
D) Frank and honest
Read this excerpt from Abigail Adams's letter (April 5, 1776): "I have sometimes been ready to think that the passion for Liberty cannot be EQL [equally] Strong in the Breasts of Such as have been accustomed to deprive their fellow Creatures of theirs."
What inference about Abigail Adams's worldview is BEST supported by this statement?
A. She believes Southern slaveholders cannot genuinely value freedom while holding others in bondage.
B. She thinks the American colonies should remain loyal to the British monarchy.
C. She argues that men are naturally more dedicated to liberty than women are.
D. She claims that true liberty can only exist when all forms of taxation are abolished.
A. She believes Southern slaveholders cannot genuinely value freedom while holding others in bondage.
Read this sentence from the excerpt: "I swept the recitation room three times... I moved every piece of furniture; I cleaned every corner. I had the feeling that in a large measure my future depended upon the impression I made."
What does the word impression mean as it is used in this context?
A. A physical mark left on a surface by pressure.
B. An immediate belief formed without clear evidence.
C. An effect or judgment produced in the mind of another person.
D. An imitation of a person's behavior for entertainment.
C. An effect or judgment produced in the mind of another person.
Read Emily Dickinson's "In a Library" poem.
After reading, revisit lines 20-24. How do these lines impact the meaning of the poem?
A) They emphasize that antique books connect readers with the outdates knowledge of past centuries
B) They describe how books provide simple facts in a straightforward and reliable way.
C) They suggest that encountering antique books feels like discovering that dreams can come true
D) They imply that rereading antique books is the same as returning to a familiar place.
C. They suggest that encountering antique books feels like discovering that dreams can come true
Read these lines from the story:"There were seven antechambers—a suite imperial... The apartments were so irregularly disposed that the vision embraced but little more than one at a time... The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries... But in this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet—a deep blood color."
What does the specific imagery and layout of the seventh room symbolize?
A. The confusion and madness experienced by guests who drink too much wine.
B. Prince Prospero’s artistic taste and devotion to extravagant architectural design.
C. A hidden escape route designed for the prince in case of emergency.
D. The final stage of life and the inescapable horror of death
D) The final stage of life and the inescapable horror of death
"Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no State has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities."
Based on the context, what does the word "abridged" mean?
A) Shorten
B) Restrict
C) Omit
D) Destroy
B) Restrict
How does Abigail Adams develop her argument across both letters regarding the future government of the United States?
A. By threatening to join British forces if women are not granted the right to hold political office immediately.
B. By demanding that women be given primary responsibility for building the continental navy and drafting tax laws.
C. By exposing the contradiction between men fighting against British tyranny while maintaining tyrannical authority over women and slaves.
D. By advising her husband to compromise with King George III to avoid economic destruction.
C. By exposing the contradiction between men fighting against British tyranny while maintaining tyrannical authority over women and slaves.
In the excerpt, how does Washington structure his account of cleaning the recitation room to build meaning?
A. He lists various reasons why manual labor is superior to academic learning.
B. He presents a chronological sequence of rigorous actions to illustrate how intense determination leads to personal triumph.
C. He compares the strictness of the Hampton head teacher to other teachers he encountered in the South.
D. He details his emotional frustration with the teacher's silence to highlight systemic unfairness.
B. He presents a chronological sequence of rigorous actions to illustrate how intense determination leads to personal triumph.
Read paragraph 4 from Susan B. Anthony's speech:
"The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no State has a right to make any law... that shall abridge their privileges or immunities."
Which logical reasoning structure does Anthony use in this passage to build her argument?
A. She presents a syllogism: women are persons, persons are citizens, therefore women are citizens with protected rights.
B. She uses an emotional appeal to pity, describing the harsh conditions women face in prison.
C. She relies on historical anecdotes to show that women previously had equal rights under English common law.
D. She attacks the personal character of her legal opponents to invalidate their court arguments.
A. She presents a syllogism: women are persons, persons are citizens, therefore women are citizens with protected rights.
Read these lines from the climax of the story: "Then, summoning the wild courage of despair, a throng of the revelers at once threw themselves into the black apartment, and, seizing the mummer... gasped in unutterable horror at finding the grave-cerements and corpse-like mask... untenanted by any tangible form."
What does the discovery that the mask and costume are "untenanted" reveal about the nature of the Red Death?
A. The Red Death is not a physical person, but an abstract force that cannot be fought or trapped.
B. The Red Death is an actual human assassin disguised in a costume.
C. The revelers were experiencing a collective hallucination caused by wine.
D. Prince Prospero had arranged a theatrical trick to scare his noble guests.
A. The Red Death is not a physical person, but an abstract force that cannot be fought or trapped.
Read the passage from "Letter to John Adams."
"I long to hear that you have declared an independency—and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies... If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation."
Based on the context, what does the word "foment" mean?
A) To instigate or stir up
B) To prevent or suppress
C) To postpone or delay
D) To record or document
A) To instigate or stir up