Unit 1
Read the excerpt from Physiologus.
Fair is he, full bright
And wonderful of hue. The holy scribes
Tell us how Joseph’s many-colored coat,
Gleaming with varying dyes of every shade,
Brilliant, resplendent, dazzled all men’s eyes
That looked upon it. So the panther’s hues
Shine altogether lovely, marvelous,
While each fair color in its beauty glows
Ever more rare and charming than the rest.
Which response most accurately identifies a literary device used in the reference to “Joseph’s many-colored coat”?
allusion
Read the lines from The Tempest.
PROSPERO
Thou liest, malignant thing. Hast thou forgot
The foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy
Was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot her?
Which words most effectively help determine the meaning of malignant as it is used in the excerpt?
thou liest
Read the sentence.
In a fit of rage, Adam tore the letter asunder, throwing the pieces into the fire.
Which context clues from this sentence would be most helpful in determining the meaning of asunder?
tore, pieces
Read the lines from “Up-Hill.”
Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?
Those who have gone before.
Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?
They will not keep you standing at that door.
Which response most clearly explains the purpose of including the sentence “They will not keep you standing at that door”?
Because the sentence is such a simple answer to the scary question of whether people will be safe and comforted in death, it is reassuring and welcoming.
what does insidious mean
to entrap
Read the passage.
The bell rang, and Jordan and Moira left Social Studies together.
“Ms. Murray asked you so many questions today in her lecture!” said Jordan.
“Asked? She interrogated me about the Constitutional Convention!” exclaimed Moira.
Which response most clearly explains why Moira said that Ms. Murray interrogated her?
Interrogated has an intense, scary connotation that shows that Moira felt nervous as she answered the questions.
Which response most clearly explains how Shakespeare relates the conflict in The Tempest to the story’s settings?
He uses the island and the storm as reasons for Prospero to tell Miranda his backstory, which introduces the audience to the story’s central conflict.
Which sentence correctly uses the word voracious?
Sharon’s voracious appetite for chocolate was satisfied only after she consumed the entire plate of cake.
Read the lines from “Up-Hill.”
May not the darkness hide it from my face?
You cannot miss that inn.
Which response accurately identifies the literary technique used in the lines?
Understatement, because “You cannot miss that inn” is a very mild and subtle way to say that everyone can reach heaven.
The purpose of the letter from Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring is to __________ the plot.
Which options accurately complete the sentence?
Which response best explains how affixes change the word cacophonous to another part of speech?
Replacing the suffix -ous with the suffix -y creates the noun cacophony.
Read the lines from Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 55.”
So till the judgment that your self arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes.
Which response explains the speaker’s perspective in the lines?
This poem is the speaker’s way of keeping his beloved alive until the end of time.
Read the sentence.
The vindictive politician vowed revenge on his enemies as he was led away to prison.
What is the most accurate synonym of the word vindictive as it is used in the sentence?
spiteful
Read the sentence from The Woman in White.
Finding us distinguished, as a nation, by our love of athletic exercises, the little man, in the innocence of his heart, devoted himself impromptu to all our English sports and pastimes whenever he had the opportunity of joining them; firmly persuaded that he could adopt our national amusements of the field by an effort of will precisely as he had adopted our national gaiters and our national white hat.
Based on the context in which the word impromptu is used, which response most accurately defines this word?
at the spur of the moment or without any advance notice or preparation
Read the excerpt from “The Hammer of God.”
That was only the beginning of disaster: Now the real tragedy began. Nitric oxides rained from the air, turning the sea to acid. Clouds of soot from incinerated forests darkened the sky, hiding the sun for months. Worldwide, the temperature dropped precipitously, killing off most of the plants and animals that had survived the initial cataclysm.
Which option is the accurate synonym for cataclysm as it is used in the excerpt?
devastation
Read the lines from the “General Prologue” of The Canterbury Tales in which a wide variety of occupations and social rankings is represented by the group of pilgrims.
There with us was a KNIGHT, a worthy man
Who, from the very first time he began
To ride about, loved honor, chivalry,
The spirit of giving, truth and courtesy.
He was a valiant warrior for his lord;
No man had ridden farther with the sword
Through Christendom and lands of heathen creeds,
And always he was praised for worthy deeds. ...
He found the highest favor in all eyes,
A valiant warrior who was also wise
And in deportment meek as any maid.
He never spoke unkindly, never played
The villain’s part, but always did the right.
He truly was a perfect, gentle knight. …
He helped win Alexandria in the East,
And often sat at table’s head to feast
with knights of all the nations when in Prussia.
In Lithuania as well as Russia
No other noble Christian fought so well.
Based on the excerpt provided, which option most accurately categorizes the knight’s social class?
The Canterbury Tales
the aristocrats, or upper class
Read the lines from the sonnet “Death Be Not Proud.”
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe, …
Which response accurately explains the effect of the personification of death?
The speaker is able to talk to death directly, which allows him to make a philosophical argument about the power of death.
Which option most effectively explains how the desert island setting in Robinson Crusoe helps develop the character of Crusoe?
Crusoe is alone in a remote, unfamiliar place where he must build a life from scratch; this reveals him to be resourceful and hardworking.
Read the lines from “Up-Hill.”
Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?
Those who have gone before.
Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?
They will not keep you standing at that door.
Which response most clearly explains the purpose of including the sentence “They will not keep you standing at that door”?
Because the sentence is such a simple answer to the scary question of whether people will be safe and comforted in death, it is reassuring and welcoming.
Read the excerpt from “The Hammer of God.”
Ever since the demilitarization of Planet Earth (much accelerated by the famous slogan “Guns Are the Crutches of the Impotent”), such activities had been frowned upon, though not actively discouraged.
Which context clues would be most helpful in figuring out the meaning of impotent as it is used in the excerpt?
the Crutches of
Ever since the demilitarization
Nadezda is very proud of her Russian lineage.
What is a synonym for lineage.
origin
Read the lines from the sonnet “Death Be Not Proud.”
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better than thy stroake; why swell’st thou then?
Which response most clearly explains the impact of the words poyson, warre, and sicknesse?
They have unappealing connotations, which helps the speaker use a mocking tone to insult death by saying he is usually found in unappealing places.
Read the lines from William Blake’s “The Chimney Sweeper” (Songs of Innocence).
And so Tom awoke, and we rose in the dark,
And got with our bags and our brushes to work.
Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm:
So, if all do their duty, they need not fear harm.
Which option most accurately describes the literary device used in the lines?
irony
Read the excerpt from “Dulce et Decorum Est.”
Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod.
Which response most clearly explains the impact of the description “blood-shod”?
The description means the men wore blood, not shoes, on their feet, and this surprising choice of words reminds the reader of the shocking pain of war.
What statements accurately identify a theme of “The Hammer of God”?
As long as there are humans, there will be evil in the world.
Advanced technology is not a cure-all for humankind’s problems.