Poetry
Excerpt: “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Question: What literary device is most prominent in this excerpt?
A. Hyperbole B. Metaphor C. Irony D. Simile
C. Irony
Excerpt (from Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck): “A guy needs somebody—to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.”
Question: What universal theme is most clearly reflected in this passage?
A. The struggle between man and nature B. The impact of technology on relationships C. The need for companionship D. The pursuit of the American Dream
C. The need for companionship
Excerpt (from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – bonus: often cross-referenced, though not on the official list. We'll swap if needed): “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.”
Question: Which concept related to coming of age is emphasized here? A. The value of tradition B. Understanding different perspectives
C. Rebellion against authority D. The importance of winning
B. Understanding different perspectives
Excerpt (from Common Sense by Thomas Paine): “Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.”
Question: What structure does Paine use to present his idea?
A. Cause and effect B. Problem and solution C. Compare and contrast D. Chronological order
C. Compare and contrast
Excerpt (from “House Divided” Speech by Abraham Lincoln): “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.”
Question: What rhetorical device is Lincoln using with the phrase “a house divided”?
A. Hyperbole B. Metaphor C. Alliteration D. Anecdote
B. Metaphor
Excerpt: “I met a traveller from an antique land, / Who said—"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone / Stand in the desert... Near them, on the sand, / Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, / And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command...” ("Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley)
Question: What is the tone of the speaker in the poem?
A. Hopeful B. Reverent C. Mocking D. Reflective
D. Reflective
Excerpt (from Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton): “The tragedy is not that things are broken. The tragedy is that they are not mended again.”
Question: Which theme best matches the author’s message?
A. The burden of leadership B. The loss of innocence C. The persistence of hope D. The impact of the past on the present
D. The impact of the past on the present
Excerpt (from Lord of the Flies by William Golding): “Maybe there is a beast... maybe it's only us.”
Question: Which idea about adolescence does this quote most suggest?
A. That children are naturally innocent B. That adults always control society C. That internal fear and darkness grow with independence D. That survival brings people together
C. That internal fear and darkness grow with independence
Excerpt (from What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? by Frederick Douglass): “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn… I do not hesitate to declare with all my soul that the character and conduct of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this 4th of July!”
Question: What organizational technique does Douglass primarily use in this passage?
A. Listing steps in a process B. Defining a term C. Presenting contrasting viewpoints D. Showing chronological history
C. Presenting contrasting viewpoints
Excerpt (from “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards): “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider... abhors you and is dreadfully provoked.”
Question: Which appeal is most evident in this passage?
A. Ethos – credibility B. Logos – logic and reason C. Pathos – emotional appeal D. Kairos – urgency
C. Pathos – emotional appeal
Excerpt: “Because I could not stop for Death – / He kindly stopped for me – / The Carriage held but just Ourselves – / And Immortality. / We slowly drove – He knew no
haste / And I had put away / My labor and my leisure too, / For His Civility –”
Question: What is the central theme of this excerpt?
A. Friendship B. Power C. Mortality D. Love
C. Mortality
Excerpt (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury): “‘We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?’”
Question: Which universal theme does this quotation explore?
A. Man’s relationship with nature B. The role of censorship in society C. The tension between comfort and truth D. The inevitability of fate
C. The tension between comfort and truth
Excerpt (from A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry): “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”
Question: What does this metaphor most likely reveal about the character's journey?
A. The rejection of all social norms B. The impact of delayed dreams on personal growth C. The importance of wealth in self-discovery D. The rejection of family values
B. The impact of delayed dreams on personal growth
Excerpt (from Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington): “I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”
Question: What structure best supports Washington’s argument in this excerpt?
A. Problem and solution B. Compare and contrast C. Cause and effect D. Chronological development
C. Cause and effect
Excerpt (from “Checkers” Speech by Richard Nixon): “The Checkers speech got its name because of the gift which Nixon admitted he had received: a dog named Checkers, which he said he would not give back because his children loved it.”
Question: How did Nixon use this anecdote rhetorically?
A. To argue for campaign reform B. To provide logical evidence C. To establish emotional connection with the audience D. To show he was wealthy enough not to need gifts
C. To establish emotional connection with the audience
Excerpt: “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley, / An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, / For promis’d joy!”
Question: What message does the excerpt convey?
A. Careful plans guarantee success. B. Nature always wins. C. Plans often fail despite preparation. D. Mice are as important as men.
C. Plans often fail despite preparation.
Excerpt (from The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois): “One ever feels his twoness,—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings...”
Question: Which universal theme does DuBois illustrate here?
A. The challenge of technological progress B. The duality of identity and the struggle for equality C. The relationship between man and nature
D. The conflict between past and present
B. The duality of identity and the struggle for equality
Excerpt (from The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane): “He had performed his mistakes in the dark, so he was still a man.”
Question: How does this line reflect a change in the protagonist's perspective?
A. He values being unnoticed in battle. B. He justifies dishonesty to avoid shame. C. He begins to accept his flaws as part of manhood. D. He believes courage is only shown in silence.
C. He begins to accept his flaws as part of manhood.
Excerpt (from “Cross of Gold” Speech by William Jennings Bryan): “You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”
Question: How does the structure of this line enhance Bryan’s argument?
A. It appeals through a historical timeline. B. It contrasts wealth with suffering using extended metaphor. C. It provides scientific evidence. D. It outlines legislative steps for reform.
B. It contrasts wealth with suffering using extended metaphor.
Excerpt (from “What’s Wrong with ‘Equal Rights’ for Women?” by Phyllis Schlafly): “ERA means women would be drafted into combat just like men… it would take away our special protections.”
Question: Which rhetorical strategy is Schlafly using in this argument?
A. Personal anecdote B. Appeal to tradition C. Logical fallacy D. Satirical tone
B. Appeal to tradition
Excerpt: “Turning and turning in the widening gyre / The falcon cannot hear the falconer; / Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, / The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere / The ceremony of innocence is drowned.”
Question: Which idea is central to the excerpt?
A. Triumph over chaos B. Loss of control in society
C. Return to tradition D. Personal growth
B. Loss of control in society
Excerpt (from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens): “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... we had everything before us, we had nothing before us...”
Question: This paradox reflects which universal theme?
A. The inevitability of fate B. The contrast between the real and the ideal C. The struggle with faith D. The power of love
B. The contrast between the real and the ideal
Excerpt (from Macbeth by William Shakespeare): “I am in blood / Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o’er.”
Question: What transformation in Macbeth’s perspective does this quote reveal?
A. He sees hope in redemption. B. He is torn between justice and ambition. C. He recognizes the irreversible consequences of his actions. D. He regrets not taking power sooner.
C. He recognizes the irreversible consequences of his actions.
Excerpt (from For the Equal Rights Amendment by Shirley Chisholm): “Legal precedent is against us; tradition is against us; but the Constitution is on our side. That is why we must fight.”
Question: Which best describes the structure of Chisholm’s argument in this excerpt?
A. Chronological comparison B. Rebuttal of counterclaims C. Scientific explanation D. Descriptive narrative
B. Rebuttal of counterclaims
Excerpt (from George Washington’s Farewell Address): “The name of American… must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.”
Question: Which rhetorical appeal is most prominent in this excerpt?
A. Logos – historical facts about unity B. Ethos – invoking his authority C. Pathos – emotional appeal to national pride D. Kairos – time-sensitive call to action
C. Pathos – emotional appeal to national pride