Short Stories/Figurative Language
Non-Fiction/Media Literacy
True Grit
Romeo & Juliet
Grammar
100
What are the 5 elements/characteristics of a short story?
Plot, character, theme, conflict, setting
100
What is media literacy?
The “ability to interpret and understand how various forms of media operate, and the impact those media can have on one’s perspective on people, events or issues”.
100
Who is the author of the novel?
Charles Portis
100
What is the setting of the play (approx. time period, location)?
Verona, Italy; approx. 14th century (I will accept responses ranging from 13th - 16th century)
100
List two purposes of commas. Be specific.
Sample Responses:
1. To separate two independent clauses when used with a coordinating conjunction.
2. To list 3 or more items in a sentence.
200
What are the 5 elements of plot structure?
Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
200
What is media bias?
When “information spread by media or a news outlet reflects the interests and biases of ownership or individuals of that media company”.
200
What is the setting of the novel (time period, location)?
1870s; the American Frontier (more specifically, Arkansas)
200
Who initiates the street fight between the Montague and Capulet servants in Act One? How?
Sampson; he 'thumbs his nose' at the Montague servants, an obvious insult, to provoke them
200
"O brawling love, O loving hate" is an example of what type of figurative language?
Oxymoron
300
Which character gets stoned at the end of "The Lottery"? How were they chosen?
Tessie Hutchinson; she drew the slip of paper with the black dot on it
300
Provide 5 logical reasons why media bias is harmful.
Sample Answers:
It can...
- lead to inaccurate or misleading information
- affect the outcomes of political elections
- decrease our critical thinking skills
- reduce the diversity of viewpoints
- lead to the suppression of dissenting opinions
- damage a person’s reputation
- foster unnecessary fear and panic
300
Describe 3 different instances where Mattie proves her determination and perseverance.
Sample Responses:
-staying to watch the public hanging of a man
-negotiating with the horse trader
-finding and convincing Rooster to track down and kill Tom Chaney
-Joining Rooster's efforts to find Chaney despite his refusal
300
Provide 2 themes of the play and an example from the text that exemplifies each.
Sample Responses:
1. Love - between titular characters (obvious); Juliet's parents' show their love through their insistence on securing her a good husband (Paris), etc.
2. Honour - servants of both households fighting for their house's honour; Juliet's initial concerns regarding Romeo because of how quickly they fell in love and him being the son of the enemy; Friar Lawrence's role in helping Romeo and keeping Romeo and Juliet together via the potion, etc.
300
Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
a. The snake slithered slowly in the sand.
b. The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
c. It is in six days in Indiana.
d. The shiny red apple gleamed under the light of the table lamp.
A. The snake slithered slowly in the sand.
400
What are 3 crimes Mary Maloney could be accused of?
Sample Responses:
-murder
-discarding of crucial evidence in a murder investigation
-deception of police officers
400
Provide 5 ways in which you can detect bias in the media.
Examine the author, tone, visuals, sources cited, scope of text, history of source of info, your personal biases, etc.
400
Explain the meaning of the phrase “The wicked flee when none pursueth.” How does it relate to Tom Chaney?
Sample Response:
The phrase means that a guilty person tends to run from their guilt and their past, even when not being actively pursued by the law. This relates to Tom Chaney because of the way in which Chaney fled the scene after murdering Mattie's father. No officer of the law, or bystander, was chasing after him. He was fleeing from his guilty conscience in an effort to, arguably, justify his actions, or simply accept what he has done and move forward.
400
Choose 3 lines from the following passage and explain their meaning:
“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs;
Being purg’d, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes;
Being vex’d, a sea nourish’d with lovers’ tears.
What is it else? A madness most discreet,
A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.”
Answers will vary
400
Identify the proper verb form for the following sentence. Then, explain your reasoning.
"The staff (is/are) arriving in separate vehicles."
"The staff are arriving in separate vehicles."
The sentence is referring to each individual staff member. Therefore, he is talking about more than one staff member, making the verb take on the plural form.
500
What is the main theme of "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury?
Society's reliance on technology and technological inventions may bring about our downfall. However, technology and nature will continue to endure.
500
Analyze this satirical cartoon and explain what it is criticizing:
Sample Response:
This satirical cartoon is criticizing today's younger generations and their reliance on AI platforms, like ChatGPT, to do everything for them. They are actively decreasing their critical thinking skills and common sense each time they use AI. The result of this will be future generations full of uneducated, unmotivated, useless individuals bent on doing the bare minimum. They are deserting their brains on a figurative island.
500
How does Mattie, as the narrator, influence the reader's perception of events? Provide 2 distinct answers.
Sample Responses:
1. Mattie can be viewed as an unreliable narrator, partly due to her youth and inexperience. This decreases her credibility and brings into question the accuracy of her descriptions of events and characters (and thus the reader's perception of them). She is also a young female surrounded by older men hardened by age and life experience; realistically, they should be the more reliable and trustworthy sources of information.
2. Mattie can be viewed as a reliable narrator simply due to her blunt manner of speaking and determined nature. She perseveres in a world of murderers, thieves, and a rough climate, despite her young age and inexperience. She proves herself an effective negotiator in multiple instances and accomplishes her goal of seeing Tom Chaney brought to justice (i.e. dead).
500
In Act Two, Scene Six, Friar Lawrence speaks metaphorically about Romeo and Juliet. Paraphrase the specific metaphor he gives regarding their relationship and explain its meaning.
Sample Response:
He says, "In triumph they die, like fire and gunpowder, which consume one another when they kiss". He is commenting on the nature of their relationship and how quickly it has developed. They are each other's "violent delights" which can only bring about their "violent ends". Love that forms this quickly leaves behind logic and reason. The quote foreshadows the tragic end of the titular characters.
500
Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130" describes the physical appearance of his mistress. Summarize what the sonnet is about and explain what/who Shakespeare is criticizing.
Sample Response:
Sonnet 130 first describes the unattractive qualities of the speaker's mistress/love. He describes her hair as black wires, her reeking breath, her unpleasant voice, etc. And yet, in the final two lines (the couplet), he reveals his rare and unwavering love for her despite these physical attributes. Shakespeare uses the sonnet to criticize the unrealistic beauty standards written in poetry by other authors of his time. He calls them out on their false narratives of their loves' beauty and claims that they shouldn't lie about their looks. What matters is the love they have for them, because love isn't superficial.