PART A: "The Pony Express"
WHAT DOES THE WORD "privation" MEAN AS IT IS USED IN PARAGRAPH 4?
A) division
B) hardship
C) dullness
D) stamina
B
WHAT DOES THE WORD "dissenting" MEAN AS IT IS USED IN PARAGRAPH 5?
A) disrespectful
B) disappointed
C) disagreeing
D) disbelieving
C
Although William Faulkner ______________ school when he was young, he did like to read. He therefore educated himself.
loathed
William Faulkner stayed calm, showing great ___________ when he gave his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in literature in 1950.
composure
If I become a writer, I'll try to be extremely careful with details so that my writing will be as _______________ Faulkner's.
painstaking
HOW DOES THE AUTHOR PRESENT INFORMATION IN THE PASSAGE?
A) The author begins by explaining general ideas then gives additional specific details.
B) The author lists the least important ideas first then concludes with the most important ideas.
C) The author gives the history chronologically from the first event that occurred to the final celebration.
D) The author describes the reaction geographically, starting in the east and moving to the west.
C or D
WHICH STATEMENT BEST EXPRESSES A CENTRAL IDEA OF THE PASSAGE?
A) The Pony Express was the first mail delivery system in the United States.
B) The Pony Express, despite meeting with some early criticism, became a showcase for American ingenuity.
C) The Pony Express, despite the dangers its riders faced, was welcomed by the people of the West as an important addition to their lives.
D) The Pony Express was a contributing factor in the increasingly poor relations between Western settlers and Plains Indians.
C
In the novel As I Lay Dying, a sorrowful family ___________ the death of a family member, but spends its time doing _____________, unimportant things.
laments
insipid
Faulkner, mourning the condition of African Americans in the South, _______________ their plight and wrote about the _______________ they had to endure at the hands of controlling whites.
lamented
repression
Because the library's copy of Absalom! Absalom! was missing, I had to _____________ my eagerness to read the novel. Although I ___________ having to wait, I'm glad I was patient because the novel was worth waiting for.
repress
loathe
WHAT IS ONE CLAIM PRESENTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PASSAGE?
A) “The rider leaps to his saddle and starts. In less than a minute he is at the post office where the letter pouch, square in shape with four padlocked pockets, is awaiting him.” (paragraph 1)
B) “A ferry boat under a full head of steam is waiting. With scarcely checked speed, the horse thunders onto the deck of the craft.” (paragraph 1)
C) “Some scream themselves hoarse; others are strangely silent; and some— strong men—are moved to tears. . . .” (paragraph 1)
D) “The managers of the Central Overland, California and Pike’s Peak Express Company had laid their plans well.” (paragraph 2)
D
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARAGRAPH 4 AND PARAGRAPH 5?
A) Paragraph 4 gives supporting details to explain why Californians had conflicting points of view about the enterprise.
B) Paragraph 4 gives supporting details to explain how organized the entire Pony Express system turned out to be.
C) Paragraph 4 gives supporting details to explain why many Californians planned to use the Pony Express.
D) Paragraph 4 gives supporting details to explain why Californians were united in their belief that the enterprise was a good thing for their state.
A
Faulkner was not satisfied with his novel, Sanctuary. He did not want to diminish his literary status and allow his reputation to ___________, so he revised the novel to meet his exacting, ______________ standards.
deteriorate
painstaking
Faulkner took a stand against the hateful, ______________ acts committed against some Southerners by showing a deep sympathy and ______________ for the victims.
atrocious
compassion
Faulkner's novel Sartoris is a _____________, sympathetic look at the _________ of the life of war veteran whose mental condition slowly worsens.
compassionate
deterioration