Unit 1
Mariama deleted focused violinist on her online bio and typed avid violinist. She smiled at the improvement.
Which response most clearly explains why Mariama may have preferred avid over focused?
-Avid has a more professional, serious connotation than focused.
-Focused has a more insincere, fake connotation than avid.
-Focused has a more obsessive, devoted connotation than avid.
-Avid has a more enthusiastic, passionate connotation than focused.
-Avid has a more enthusiastic, passionate connotation than focused.
In The Faerie Queene, the Redcrosse knight falls into the ancient spring. What archetype is used in this scene?
-Water is used to represent intelligence and strategy.
-Water is used to represent rebirth and healing.
-Water is used to represent a change of one’s motivations.
-Water is used to represent the beginning of a lucky streak.
-Water is used to represent rebirth and healing.
Which option most accurately explains how the conflict Gulliver faces develops through the plot of Gulliver’s Travels?
-Gulliver works to gain his freedom by helping the Lilliputians’ army so they are indebted to him.
-Gulliver works to gain his freedom by emphasizing the size and power difference between the Lilliputians and himself.
-Gulliver works to gain his freedom by convincing the Lilliputians not to fear him and simultaneously gaining their trust.
-Gulliver works to gain his freedom by keeping several important possessions so he can later barter for his freedom.
-Gulliver works to gain his freedom by convincing the Lilliputians not to fear him and simultaneously gaining their trust.
Read the excerpt from Through the Looking Glass.
Alice stood looking after it, almost ready to cry with vexation at having lost her dear little fellow-traveller so suddenly.
What option accurately defines the noun vexation as it is used in the excerpt?
-a state of reduced circumstances
-a state of joy
-a state of aggravation
-a state of extreme anger
-a state of aggravation
Much of the humor in “Strychnine in the Soup” stems from the author’s use of implied meanings.
Which option most accurately identifies an example of sarcasm?
-Cyril’s comment that he wouldn’t be likely to “move in the same social circles as charging rhinoceri”
-the description of Lady Bassett as “a broad-minded woman”
-the description of Amelia Bassett as “the girl whom he was to love”
-Lady Bassett’s comment that Lester would be likely to “insert a stout stick between its jaws”
-Cyril’s comment that he wouldn’t be likely to “move in the same social circles as charging rhinoceri”
Which responses most accurately identify a theme of Beowulf?
(Select all that apply.)
-The forces of nature are stronger than any human, and challenging them will lead to doom.
-A brave warrior picks his battles carefully, and thinks of his own safety and that of his men first.
-It is noble to help others when they are in great need, and doing so may create a special bond.
-Anyone can boast in a time of safety, but only the strongest can live up to those boasts in times of danger.
-It is noble to help others when they are in great need, and doing so may create a special bond.
-Anyone can boast in a time of safety, but only the strongest can live up to those boasts in times of danger.
Which responses state a theme of The Faerie Queene?
(Select all that apply.)
-The best way to end a conflict is to find a compromise that honors both parties’ wishes.
-No one is entirely good, and no one is entirely evil, because every person contains both.
-The righteous will find the strength they need to prevail against evil.
-An honorable hero will fight for what is right, no matter how daunting the task.
-The righteous will find the strength they need to prevail against evil.
-An honorable hero will fight for what is right, no matter how daunting the task.
In Gulliver’s Travels, as the Lilliputians gather and catalog Gulliver’s belongings, they invite him to demonstrate how his pistol works. When Gulliver discharges it, everyone cowers in fear. What does this demonstrate about the relationship between Gulliver and the Lilliputians?
-Despite the Lilliputians’ perceived control of Gulliver, he could easily kill all of them.
-Gulliver continually acts with an air of bravado to fool the Lilliputians.
-The Lilliputians are justified in their treatment of Gulliver.
-Gulliver behaves recklessly when interacting with the Lilliputians.
-Despite the Lilliputians’ perceived control of Gulliver, he could easily kill all of them.
Read the excerpt from Through the Looking Glass.
“Now! Now!” cried the Queen. “Faster! Faster!” And they went so fast that at last they seemed to skim through the air, hardly touching the ground with their feet, till suddenly, just as Alice was getting quite exhausted, they stopped, and she found herself sitting on the ground, breathless and giddy.
Which option is the most accurate definition of giddy as it is used in the excerpt?
-dizzy
-tired
-playful
-happy
-dizzy
Read the excerpt from “Strychnine in the Soup,” which describes how Cyril and Amelia fall in love.
The two twin souls gazed into each other’s eyes. There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship than a mutual taste in literature.
Which option most accurately identifies the author’s perspective on relationships based on the excerpt’s sarcasm?
-The author respects people who balance their appreciation of a person’s physical qualities with the individual’s personality.
-The author is amused that people can base an entire relationship on trivial and insufficient qualities.
-The author objects to people who rely on others to find fulfillment in their lives.
-The author admires people who follow their gut reactions.
-The author is amused that people can base an entire relationship on trivial and insufficient qualities.
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 adverb cacophony.
-Replacing the suffix -ous with the suffix -y creates the adjective cacophony.
-Replacing the suffix -ous with the suffix -y creates the verb cacophony.
-Replacing the suffix -ous with the suffix -y creates the noun cacophony.
Replacing the suffix -ous with the suffix -y creates the noun cacophony.
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?
-with age and envy
-thou liest
-was grown
-hast thou forgot her
-thou liest
Which option most accurately depicts an example of humor from Gulliver’s Travels that lends itself to the satirical tone of the text?
-Gulliver keeps certain objects hidden from the Lilliputians when they make an inventory of his possessions.
-Gulliver frees the six men who shoot arrows at him instead of killing them as the emperor expects.
-The emperor demands that his armies respectfully march between Gulliver’s legs for the emperor’s own entertainment.
-The mathematicians calculate that Gulliver will require the same amount of food and drink as 1,724 Lilliputians.
-The emperor demands that his armies respectfully march between Gulliver’s legs for the emperor’s own entertainment.
Which passage from Through the Looking Glass most accurately depicts the use of understatement?
-At the next peg, the Queen turned again, and this time she said, “Speak in French when you can’t think of the English for a thing. …”
-Everyone seemed satisfied with this, though Alice felt a little nervous at the idea of trains jumping at all.
-Of course the first thing to do was to make a grand survey of the country she was going to travel through.
-“O Tiger-lily,” said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, “I wish you could talk!”
“We can talk,” said the Tiger-lily.
-Everyone seemed satisfied with this, though Alice felt a little nervous at the idea of trains jumping at all.
Read the sentence from Rebecca.
Nature had come into her own again and, little by little, in her stealthy, insidious way had encroached upon the drive with long, tenacious fingers.
What context clues would be helpful in figuring out the meaning of insidious as it is used in the sentence?
-upon the drive
-her stealthy … way
-little by little
-long, tenacious fingers
-her stealthy … way
-little by little
Which lines from the “General Prologue” of The Canterbury Tales most effectively outline the Wife of Bath’s character traits that become most relevant to her story?
-With ease upon an ambling horse she sat,Well wimpled, while upon her head her hatWas broad as any buckler to be found.Read the lines from John Donne’s poem “The Sunne Rising.”
Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime,
Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.
Which options most effectively explain why the speaker of the poem describes hours, days, and months as the rags of time?
(Select all that apply.)
-The phrase compares love to shreds of fabric that are poor and imperfect.
-The phrase sets up a contrast between the eternity of love and the transience of time.
-The phrase suggests that love is worthless when it does not last long.
-The phrase demonstrates the impermanence and worthlessness of such short amounts of time.
-The phrase sets up a contrast between the eternity of love and the transience of time.
-The phrase demonstrates the impermanence and worthlessness of such short amounts of time.
In The Mysteries of Udolpho, Annette tells Emily that the previous owner of Udolpho went missing.
Which excerpt from The Mysteries of Udolpho most effectively contributes to the apprehensive tone of their conversation?
-‘This castle, you must know, ma’amselle, is very old, and very strong, and has stood out many sieges as they say.’
-‘The wind blew cold, and strewed the leaves about, and whistled dismally among those great old chesnut trees, that we passed, ma’amselle, as we came to the castle …’
-‘But, as I was saying, this lady lived in the castle, and had everything very grand about her, as you may suppose …’
-‘The lady—they called her Signora Laurentini, was very handsome, but she used to be in great passions, too, sometimes, as well as the Signor.’
-‘The wind blew cold, and strewed the leaves about, and whistled dismally among those great old chesnut trees, that we passed, ma’amselle, as we came to the castle …’
Which response most clearly explains the impact of the narrative element of setting on the plot of the play The Importance of Being Earnest?
-Three characters, Lane, Algernon, and Jack, discuss how to discourage Lady Bracknell from visiting Algernon’s house, which creates the plot’s dramatic irony.
-Two characters, Algernon and Jack, use different identities when they are in the different settings of the city and the country, which creates the plot’s conflict.
-Three characters, Lane, Algernon, and Jack, know that Algernon ate the cucumber sandwiches in the setting of the house, which creates the plot’s humor.
-Two characters, Algernon and Jack, are in love with Gwendolen and are together with her in the same setting of Algernon’s house, which creates the plot’s tension.
-Two characters, Algernon and Jack, use different identities when they are in the different settings of the city and the country, which creates the plot’s conflict.
Read the sentence from Rebecca.
A lilac had mated with a copper beech, and to bind them yet more closely to one another the malevolent ivy, always an enemy to grace, had thrown her tendrils about the pair and made them prisoners.
Which option is the correct synonym for malevolent?
-evil
-unpleasant
-overgrown
-clingy
-evil
Which response most clearly explains the impact of rhyme in the poem “Gawayne and the Green Knight: A Fairy Tale,” as compared to unrhymed prose in the short story “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A Middle-English Arthurian Romance”?
-The rhyme creates a sing-song effect that adds to the lightheartedness of the poem and contrasts with the seriousness of the short story.
-The rhyme creates a monotonous effect that adds to the repetition within the poem and contrasts with the brevity of the short story.
-The rhyme creates an ominous effect that highlights the tragic nature of the poem and contrasts with the optimism of the short story.
-The rhyme creates an ancient effect that highlights the historical qualities of the poem and contrasts with the modern prose of the short story.
-The rhyme creates a sing-song effect that adds to the lightheartedness of the poem and contrasts with the seriousness of the short story.
Which lines from a Shakespearean sonnet best exemplify the use of hyperbole?
-If this be error and upon me proved, /
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
-Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks /
Within his bending sickle’s compass come.
-Love is not love /
Which alters when it alteration finds, /Or bends with the remover to remove.
-Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, /
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
-If this be error and upon me proved, /
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
Which option most effectively describes the interaction between two central ideas in Percy Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias”?
-The desert is large and dry, and because of that, the pieces of the statue were preserved.
-An artist sculpted a likeness of the king, and because of that, something still remains of the ruler.
-The words can still be read on the statue’s pedestal, and because of that, the traveler chooses to tell the story.
-The king was proud and boastful, and because of that, his empire fell.
-An artist sculpted a likeness of the king, and because of that, something still remains of the ruler.
Read the excerpt from “Parting at Morning,” in which the speaker describes departing from a lover’s house.
Round the cape of a sudden came the sea,
And the sun looked over the mountain’s rim:
And straight was a path of gold for him,
And the need of a world of men for me.
Which option accurately identifies a type of figurative language used in the excerpt?
-The words “Round the cape” are an example of an idiom.
-The words “straight was a path of gold for him” are an example of a simile.
-The words “the need of a world of men” are an example of hyperbole.
-The words “the sun looked over the mountain’s rim” are an example of personification.
-The words “the sun looked over the mountain’s rim” are an example of personification.
Which option provides the most accurate synonym for the word sagacious?
-wise
-wild
-grave
-good
-wise