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Vocabulary
"The Schoolmaster's Letters"
A Short History of Nearly Everything
The Great Gatsby
"Meet the Moai of Easter Island"
100
What is the most likely meaning of sedentary in the sentence below? Doctors know that many health problems are associated with a sedentary lifestyle, so they prescribe a large dose of activity and exercise to most adults. A. energetic B. inactive C. reflective D. vigorous
What is B. inactive
100
In paragraph 11, what is the significance of the author’s mentioning the change in the seasons? a. It explains how much time has passed since the schoolmaster has been writing letters. b. It shows that the schoolmaster will not write when the light lessens in winter. c. It emphasizes that the schoolmaster’s love is dying like the summer months.
What is A. It explains how much time has passed since the schoolmaster has been writing letters.
100
When the author uses the phrase of consequence in line 9-10, it most likely means A. importance B. disregard C. trivial D. repercussions
What is A. importance
100
In the sentence at the beginning of paragraph four (“By seven o'clock the orchestra has arrived, no thin fivepiece affair, but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos, and low and high drums.”), what is the sense of the word thin? A. A five-piece orchestra would have musicians who would all be slender. B. A five-piece orchestra would look small compared to the orchestra that was hired for the party. C. A five-piece orchestra would have played fewer songs that wouldn’t have sounded as full. D. A five-piece orchestra would have cost far less money to hire.
What is B. A five-piece orchestra would look small compared to the orchestra that was hired for the party.
100
What is an objective summary of the selection? A. Very little is known about the moai’s history on Easter Island. B. The moai are an integral part of the island’s tourist industry. C. The island is becoming a popular tourist attraction. D. The island’s residents are very hospitable to visitors.
What is A. Very little is known about the moai’s history on Easter Island.
200
Which synonym of fanatical has the most positive tone? A. dedicated B. fixated C. obsessive D. overzealous
What is A. dedicated
200
Based on the context, what is the effect of the figurative language in paragraph 2? a. It emphasizes the exquisite apartment the schoolmaster lives in. b. It depicts the insolent ocean view of a lonely man looking out at all he cannot have. c. It mirrors the feelings and emotions the schoolmaster experiences when he writes of his love.
What is C. It mirrors the feelings and emotions the schoolmaster experiences when he writes of his love.
200
Which of the following is an objective summary of the text? A. Space is filled with nothing. B. Space is full of life. C. Space is a mysterious place ripe for exploration. D. Space is a vast expanse that contains the possibility of other life forms.
What is D. Space is a vast expanse that contains the possibility of other life forms.
200
Which words in the second sentence of paragraph five (“Laughter is easier minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word.”) mirror the references to all the alcohol that is being consumed at the party? A. minute by minute, prodigality B. cheerful, easier C. spilled, tipped out D. laughter, word
What is C. spilled, tipped out
200
What can be inferred from paragraph 2? A. Europeans are clearly connected to Easter Island’s most famous attraction. B. Europeans are not as central to the island’s history as some may think. C. Europeans were the originators of Easter Island’s famous moai sculptures. D. Europeans have completely rewritten Easter Island’s history.
What is B. Europeans are not as central to the island’s history as some may think.
300
Jerry anxiously peered around the closet door, fearing that his pursuers would hear each breath he took. How would you describe the mood? A. gloomy B. sentimental C. sorrowful D. suspenseful
What is D. suspenseful
300
What is the effect of the figurative language used in the sentence below from the first paragraph? “The light was rose-red and imperial and spiritual, like his love for her, and seemed almost to dye the words of the letters in its own splendid hues—the letters to her which she never was to see, whose words her eyes never were to read, and whose love and golden fancy and rainbow dreams never were to be so much as known by her.” a. The metaphor implies the resemblance between the sunset and the color of writing paper. b. The simile reflects a resemblance between the sunset and the character’s feelings. c. The hyperbole exaggerates a difference between the sunset and the character’s feelings.
What is B. The simile reflects a resemblance between the sunset and the character’s feelings.
300
How does the author achieve his purpose? A. By using humor to connect the reader to the subject matter. B. By using humor, concrete scientific evidence and credible sources. C. By inserting scientific vocabulary to solidify his point of view. D. By using diction that appeals to teenagers.
What is B. By using humor, concrete scientific evidence and credible sources.
300
At the beginning of paragraph eight, the narrator reiterates the fact that he was actually invited to the party. What was the narrator’s purpose for repeating this? A. He wants to emphasize how strange it was that almost no one had been invited to such a huge party. B. He wants to impress the audience with the fact that Gatsby singled him out. C. He wants to draw attention to his own importance compared to the other guests. D. He wants to subtly criticizing the other guests for just showing up at a party without an invitation.
What is A. He wants to emphasize how strange it was that almost no one had been invited to such a huge party.
300
Why does the author include the sentence below from paragraph 3? “Then, in the distance, I saw the distinct outline of giant heads.” A. to emphasize the size of the island’s population B. to create intrigue over the island’s most famous feature C. to conclude the story with a riddle D. to summarize her points about the moai’s origins
What is B. to create intrigue over the island’s most famous feature
400
In the poem “Fog,” Carl Sandburg writes, “The fog comes in on little cat feet.” What does his metaphor suggest? A. Fog and cats are both small and gray. B. Fog and cats enter houses from outside. C. Fog appears slowly and moves quietly like a cat. D. The fog emerges at street level where many cats live.
What is C. Fog appears slowly and moves quietly like a cat.
400
According to the selection, how does the author show the tension in the heart of the schoolmaster? a. She describes how often he writes letters to Una b. She reveals that the letters he writes are never sent to Una c. She never tells that the woman’s name is Una in the letters.
What is B. She reveals that the letters he writes are never sent to Una
400
How does the author connect ideas in the selection? A. He explains to the reader the distance between and the number of stars in the Milky Way. B. He presents a real story about Frank Drake and his famous equation to make it credible. C. He ends with the possibility that other advanced civilizations may exist in space. D. He unfolds a series of explanations about the whopping numbers concerning the size of space.
What is D. He unfolds a series of explanations about the whopping numbers concerning the size of space.
400
What can be inferred about Gatsby from the fact that no one at the party seems to know where he is? A. Gatsby hates throwing parties. B. Gatsby is in disguise. C. Gatsby’s guests dislike him. D. Gatsby wants to be left alone.
What is D. Gatsby wants to be left alone.
400
What does the author mean when she describes Easter Island as “a destination with solitude built into its DNA”? A. Her friends would not accompany her to the island. B. Her motivation for leaving was misplaced. C. The island is an unusually lonely place to live. D. The island’s natives are different and quirky.
What is C. The island is an unusually lonely place to live.
500
In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet says, “Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Which best explains the oxymoron “sweet sorrow”? A. Saying good night is very hard to do. B. It’s sad to say goodbye to Romeo and see him leave. C. It’s sweet to say good night to Romeo because she loves him. D. Sorrowful parting is still sweet because she thinks about seeing Romeo again.
What is D. Sorrowful parting is still sweet because she thinks about seeing Romeo again.
500
According to the selection, how does the schoolmaster’s personality impact his point of view? a. His shyness prevents him from openly expressing his love for Una. b. His boldness provokes him to express his feelings for Una instead of writing them down. c. His pride forces him to stay at school longer in order to spend more time with Una.
What is A. His shyness prevents him from openly expressing his love for Una.
500
Which of the following details were NOT used to support the statement that space is enormous? A. “[Aliens are] watching the French Revolution and Thomas Jefferson and people in silk stockings.” B. “To reach [Proxima Centauri] by spaceship would take at least twenty-five thousand years” C. “[A]lien beings travel billions of miles to amuse themselves” D. “The average distance between stars out there is 20 million million miles.”
What is C. “[A]lien beings travel billions of miles to amuse themselves”
500
In paragraph three, what is the effect of the narrator listing all the foods on the buffet tables in detail? A. The reader is impressed with the narrator’s attention to detail B. The description creates a contrasting image to the “thin” five-piece orchestra mentioned in the next paragraph C. The reader shares the narrator’s criticism of Gatsby’s excessive generosity D. The reader more vividly experiences the overwhelming amount of food at the party.
What is D. The reader more vividly experiences the overwhelming amount of food at the party.
500
What is the purpose of beginning the selection with dialogue and then moving to geographical and statistical information? A. The reader is not able to comprehend the geographical and statistical information without the dialogue. B. Given the geographical and statistical information later on, the reader can relate the information to personal experiences. C. The information explaining why the island is such a tourist attraction helps the reader to decide whether he or she wants to visit. D. By starting with dialogue and the author’s experience at the airport, the reader’s interest is captured, and he or she wants to keep reading.
What is D. By starting with dialogue and the author’s experience at the airport, the reader’s interest is captured, and he or she wants to keep reading.