Poetry
"My Hermitage"
"My Hermitage"
Passage 1: “My Hermitage” by Alexander Posey As a member of the Native American Muscogee Creek Nation, Posey’s works often depict rich landscapes. In this poem, he describes a hermitage, or a place of solitude.
1 Between me and the noise of strife
2 Are walls of mountains set with pine;
3 The dusty, care-strewn paths of life
4 Lead not to this retreat of mine.
What does strife mean as it is used in line 1?
A. conflict
B. peace
A. conflict
18 “No, thank you,” said Irene. “I can walk very well, though I can't run so fast as nursie. If you will give me one hand, Lootie will give me another, and then I shall get on famously.”
In Passage 2, what does the word famously mean as it is used in paragraph 18?
A) shockingly
B) extremely well
C) importantly
D) widely known
B) extremely well
Read the sentence from the passage.
“He enunciated the words incisively and slowly, carefully specifying each punctuation mark and new paragraph.” (paragraph 4)
The word enunciated comes from the Latin root nuntius meaning “messenger.” Based on this information, what is the meaning of the word enunciated as it is used in the passage?
A) spoke exactly
B) read softly
C) spoke unevenly
D) read passionately
A) spoke exactly
9 I live with Echo and with Song,
10 And Beauty leads me forth to see
11 Her temple’s colonnades, and long
12 Together do we love to be.
13 The mountains wall me in, complete,
14 And leave me but a bit blue
15 Above. All year, the days are sweet—
16 How sweet! And all the long nights thro’
Select the word from lines 9-16 in Passage 1 which comes from a Latin word meaning “pillar.”
A) forth
B) colonnades
C) mountains
D) complete
B) colonnades
Passage 1: “My Hermitage” by Alexander Posey As a member of the Native American Muscogee Creek Nation, Posey’s works often depict rich landscapes. In this poem, he describes a hermitage, or a place of solitude.
Passage 2: Excerpt from The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald This excerpt of MacDonald’s children's fantasy novel follows the previous events: Princess Irene and her caregiver, Lootie, have been locked indoors for days due to poor weather. Finally, they get to go out and explore, but soon become lost. Princess Irene cannot be out after dark and Lootie is worried they will run into goblins. As they try to find their way back, the princess hears the sound of whistling…
PART A: The quest archetype occurs when a character must embark on a search for someone or something.
How is the quest archetype represented similarly in Passage 1 and Passage 2?
A) They both describe the danger of being alone in nature.
B) They both emphasize the importance of trusting strangers.
C) They both demonstrate a need to escape conflict.
D) They both exaggerate the fear of the unknown.
C) They both demonstrate a need to escape conflict.
2 Short it was. But it was to become one of the most famous speeches of the twentieth century, giving birth to one of the most famous phrases of the century.
How does the author use the phrase “giving birth to one of the most famous phrases of the century” in paragraph 2 to advance his appeal to credibility?
A) by comparing the speech to other famous addresses
B) by explaining the reasons behind the president's word choice
C) by emphasizing the historical impact of the speech
D) by highlighting the popularity of the president
C) by emphasizing the historical impact of the speech
Read these lines from Passage 1.
37 High in the solitude of air,
38 The gray hawk circles on and on,
39 Till, like a spirit soaring there,
40 His image pales and he is gone!
What does the gray hawk symbolize in the passage?
A) the joy in being alone
B) the courage to overcome obstacles
C) the chaos of everyday life
D) the power of making connections
A) the joy in being alone
Passage 1: “My Hermitage” by Alexander Posey As a member of the Native American Muscogee Creek Nation, Posey’s works often depict rich landscapes. In this poem, he describes a hermitage, or a place of solitude.
Passage 2: Excerpt from The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald This excerpt of MacDonald’s children's fantasy novel follows the previous events: Princess Irene and her caregiver, Lootie, have been locked indoors for days due to poor weather. Finally, they get to go out and explore, but soon become lost. Princess Irene cannot be out after dark and Lootie is worried they will run into goblins. As they try to find their way back, the princess hears the sound of whistling…
PART A: The quest archetype occurs when a character must embark on a search for someone or something.
How is the quest archetype represented similarly in Passage 1 and Passage 2?
Answer: They both demonstrate a need to escape conflict.
PART B: How does Passage 1 represent the quest archetype from Part A differently than Passage 2?
A) It features a dangerous journey to find safety.
B) It explores a personal search for inner peace.
C) It references the joy of traveling with trusted companions.
D) It illustrates the panic that occurs when getting lost.
B) It explores a personal search for inner peace.
Photo Caption: Franklin Roosevelt's changes to the first draft of his speech are clearly visible on "Draft No. 1." In the opening sentence, he changed "world history" to "infamy" and "simultaneously" to "suddenly." At one point, he considered putting the words "without warning" at the end of the sentence but later crossed them out. (Franklin D. Roosevelt Library)
Select the way the photo of Roosevelt’s first draft develops the author’s purpose to explain the president's writing process.
A) It illustrates the errors in Roosevelt’s initial reasoning.
B) It highlights the way Roosevelt chose his words.
C) It demonstrates the motives behind Roosevelt’s revisions.
D) It shows the contributions of Roosevelt’s writing staff.
B) It highlights the way Roosevelt chose his words.
PART A: What effect does the speaker describing nature with human qualities have on Passage 1?
Answer: It demonstrates the connection that the speaker has with nature.
PART B: Which detail from Passage 1 supports your answer to Part A?
A. “Between me and the noise of strife/ Are walls of mountains set with pine;” (lines 1-2)
B. “And, in the growing light, / The lap of lilies on lake” (lines 7-8)
C. “Behold, far in the midnight sky, / An infinite of stars!” (lines 19-20)
D. “The cedar and the pine / Have pitched their tents with me.” (lines 25-26)
D. “The cedar and the pine / Have pitched their tents with me.” (lines 25-26)
23 ”He's a good boy, and a brave boy, and he has been very kind to us. Lootie! Lootie! I promised…a princess must not break her word,” said Irene, drawing herself up and standing stock-still.
24 “Never mind, Princess Irene,” the miner-boy said. “You mustn't kiss me tonight. But you shan't break your word. I will come another time. You may be sure I will. Good night, Irene; good night, Lootie,” said the miner-boy, and turned and was out of sight in a moment.
25 “I should like to see him!” muttered the nurse, as she carried the princess to the nursery.
26 “You will see him,” said Irene. “You may be sure the miner-boy will keep his word. He's sure to come again.”
27 “I should like to see him!” repeated the nurse, and said no more. She did not want to open a new cause of strife with the princess by saying more plainly what she meant. Glad enough that she had succeeded both in getting home unseen, and in keeping the princess from kissing the miner-boy, she resolved to watch her far better in future. Her carelessness had already doubled the danger she was in. Formerly the goblins were her only fear; now she had to protect her charge from the miner-boy as well.
PART A: In paragraphs 23-27 of Passage 2, how are Princess Irene’s and Nurse Lootie’s perspectives about the miner boy different?
A) Irene sees the miner boy as a friend, but Lootie sees the miner boy as a way to protect the princess.
B) Irene thinks the miner boy will not keep his word, but Lootie thinks the miner boy will return.
C) Irene feels relieved when the miner boy leaves, but Lootie feels disappointed by the miner boy's departure.
D) Irene views the miner boy as trustworthy, but Lootie views him as a threat to the princess.
D) Irene views the miner boy as trustworthy, but Lootie views him as a threat to the princess.
Read the sentences from paragraph 15.
“When Roosevelt delivered the speech, most of his on-the-spot changes involved word order. But many people had never heard of Oahu, the Hawaiian island on which Pearl Harbor and Honolulu are located, so it became ‘the American island of Oahu’ to establish the fact that America had been attacked.”
How does the author’s logical appeal help to convey the purpose of the passage?
A) It implies that Hawaii was not the true target of Japan’s attack.
B) It provides context for those unfamiliar with the reasons behind Japan’s attack.
C) It explains an intentional change in describing the location of the attack.
D) It lists the names of additional U.S. military bases that were attacked.
C) It explains an intentional change in describing the location of the attack.
Passage 1: “My Hermitage” by Alexander Posey As a member of the Native American Muscogee Creek Nation, Posey’s works often depict rich landscapes. In this poem, he describes a hermitage, or a place of solitude.
1 Between me and the noise of strife
2 Are walls of mountains set with pine;
3 The dusty, care-strewn paths of life
4 Lead not to this retreat of mine.
Select two ways the imagery in stanza one affects Passage 1.
Pick only 2 answers that apply to the question above
A. It builds suspense about the danger the speaker faces.
B. It emphasizes how isolated the speaker feels.
C. It highlights the speaker’s deep appreciation for nature.
D. It suggests the speaker seeks to escape distractions
C. It highlights the speaker’s deep appreciation for nature.
D. It suggests the speaker seeks to escape distractions
23 ”He's a good boy, and a brave boy, and he has been very kind to us. Lootie! Lootie! I promised…a princess must not break her word,” said Irene, drawing herself up and standing stock-still.
24 “Never mind, Princess Irene,” the miner-boy said. “You mustn't kiss me tonight. But you shan't break your word. I will come another time. You may be sure I will. Good night, Irene; good night, Lootie,” said the miner-boy, and turned and was out of sight in a moment.
25 “I should like to see him!” muttered the nurse, as she carried the princess to the nursery.
26 “You will see him,” said Irene. “You may be sure the miner-boy will keep his word. He's sure to come again.”
27 “I should like to see him!” repeated the nurse, and said no more. She did not want to open a new cause of strife with the princess by saying more plainly what she meant. Glad enough that she had succeeded both in getting home unseen, and in keeping the princess from kissing the miner-boy, she resolved to watch her far better in future. Her carelessness had already doubled the danger she was in. Formerly the goblins were her only fear; now she had to protect her charge from the miner-boy as well.
PART B: How are Princess Irene’s and Nurse Lootie’s perspectives in Part A developed?
A) with a heated argument
B) with a physical conflict
C) with silent disagreement
D) with calm conversation
A) with a heated argument
PART A: How does the author develop his argument that the U.S. must declare war on Japan?
Answer: by outlining why Japan’s calculated actions justify an American response
PART B: Select a detail from the passage that supports the answer in Part A.
A) “...the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned…” (paragraph 3)
B) “The people of the United States have already formed their opinions…” (paragraph 6)
C) “As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.” (paragraph 7)
D) “...the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.” (paragraph 8)
A) “...the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned…” (paragraph 3)