Informational
Which of these statements best summarizes paragraph 6?
"But the real angler continues, regardless of the local sage. He who has heard the line sing suddenly out of his reel, and, after a hard-fought hour, scooped a six-pound black bass into the landing net, weary, but still "game," is not dismayed by bad luck. He who can cast a fly a hundred feet or more finds pleasure in that, if not in fishing. Whoever has taken in a muskellunge of any size will ever after troll patiently, even through masses of weed. Whoever has leaned over the side of a sailboat, peering down into the green, crystalline waters of the Gulf, and seen, twenty feet down, the shimmering sides of a fifteen-pound red grouper, firmly hooked and coming, will never turn over sleepily, for a last nap, when his door is almost broken in at 5 A.M."
A. Fishing can wear out even the hardiest sportsman.
B. The only sport that compares to fishing is flyfishing.
C. After a good night's sleep a fisherman forgets any bad luck.
D. A dedicated fisherman will let nothing keep him from the sport.
D. A dedicated fisherman will let nothing keep him from the sport.
Which universal theme does this poem touch upon?
La Belle Dame sans Merci
John Keats
'O WHAT can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge is wither'd from the lake,
And no birds sing.
'O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,5
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest 's done.
'I see a lily on thy brow
With anguish moist and fever dew;10
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.'
'I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful—a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,15
And her eyes were wild.
'I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She look'd at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.20
'I set her on my pacing steed
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sideways would she lean, and sing
A faery's song.
'She found me roots of relish sweet,25
And honey wild and manna dew,
And sure in language strange she said,
"I love thee true!"
'She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sigh'd fill sore;30
And there I shut her wild, wild eyes
With kisses four.
'And there she lullèd me asleep,
And there I dream'd—Ah! woe betide!
The latest dream I ever dream'd35
On the cold hill's side.
'I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried—"La belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!"40
'I saw their starved lips in the gloam
With horrid warning gapèd wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.
'And this is why I sojourn here45
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is wither'd from the lake,
And no birds sing.'
A. greed
B. fear
C. growth
D. obsession
D. obsession
Shell-fish are, comparatively, slow of movement, without guile, pitifully trusting, and very easily caught.
Which is the correct meaning for the word guile as used in this sentence?
A. Anger
B. Drive
C. energy
D. Shrewdness
D. Shrewdness
The Catching of Unshelled Fish Reading
Which statement MOST ACCURATELY indicates the author's attitude toward the catching of unshelled fish?
a. It is not a sport suited for modern times.
b. It is much easier than catching shellfish.
c. It is too expensive, so people should just buy the fish at the market.
d. It is only for those who truly love the sport of it, for it is a matter of luck.
d. It is only for those who truly love the sport of it, for it is a matter of luck.
Which sentence is written in an informal style?
a. For the first thirty pages of the story, readers follow Simon through a maze of confusion.
b. Some speculators think this might be foreshadowing of the main story of the next Evasion book.
c. Perhaps the finest scene in the novel is the ending, which I won’t ruin for you. I’ll merely warn you to beware...
d. As Grant relearns his identity, he befriends Sasha, a librarian who leads him on an adventure though Spain and Portugal.
c. Perhaps the finest scene in the novel is the ending, which I won’t ruin for you. I’ll merely warn you to beware...
The Running on Empty Blog
I have been running for many years now. The most common complaint I hear from fellow runners is that they suffer from shin splints—pain in the tibia caused by overexertion. I have suffered from this condition since I started running as a teenager. When I heard about Pro Walk, I was excited to try it to see if it could relieve some of my pain. While I admit that the inserts offer extra support, I find them to be extremely uncomfortable to wear. The hard plastic doesn’t bend with my feet, causing pain and stiffness in my arches.
Which statement presents a view OPPOSED to this statement?
A. Pro Walk has been used by many runners to treat shin splints.
B. Most people forget that they have the Pro Walk in their shoes.
C. Many runners experience shin splints when they increase their mileage.
D. Some people find the hard plastic of the Pro Walk uncomfortable at first.
B. Most people forget that they have the Pro Walk in their shoes.
One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.
Dr. King compares the life of poverty many African-Americans led during the 1960s to
a. an ocean.
b. a lost sailor
c. a lonely island
d. material prosperity
c. a lonely island
"Mind you don't," said Bessie; and when she had ascertained that I was really subsiding, she loosened her hold of me; then she and Miss Abbot stood with folded arms, looking darkly and doubtfully on my face, as incredulous of my sanity.
What is the meaning of the word ascertained, as it is used in the previous sentence?
a. determined
b. disbelief
c. discovered
d. divested
a. Determined
But the real angler continues, regardless of the local sage. He who has heard the line sing suddenly out of his reel, and, after a hard-fought hour, scooped a six-pound black bass into the landing net, weary, but still "game," is not dismayed by bad luck. He who can cast a fly a hundred feet or more finds pleasure in that, if not in fishing. Whoever has taken in a muskellunge of any size will ever after troll patiently, even through masses of weed. Whoever has leaned over the side of a sailboat, peering down into the green, crystalline waters of the Gulf, and seen, twenty feet down, the shimmering sides of a fifteen-pound red grouper, firmly hooked and coming, will never turn over sleepily, for a last nap, when his door is almost broken in at 5 A.M.
What is the purpose of the author's use of diction in describing the sight of a red grouper?
a. The author uses figurative language to evoke the beautiful sight of a grouper.
b. The author uses sarcasm to describe how futile trying to catch a grouper can be.
c. The author uses negative diction to continue his mocking of fishing for unshelled fish.
d. The author uses positive evocative language to describe the wonder of catching a grouper.
d. The author uses positive evocative language to describe the wonder of catching a grouper.
An unshelled fish is lively and elusive past the power of words to portray, and in this, undoubtedly, lies its desirability.
What is the best meaning of the word elusive in the context of this sentence?
a. amphibious
b. filled with energy
c. difficult to catch
d. used as a reference point
c. difficult to catch
Which sentence from the article best supports the claim that log cabins are not the original type of colonial construction in America?
A. "Log cabins were not the first type of shelter built by all American colonists."
B. "A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of 'log cabin' and 'log house.'"
C.
"Log buildings, because of their distinct material, physical structure, and sometimes their architectural design, can develop their own unique deterioration problems."
D. "Despite the publication since the 1930s of a number of books and articles on the history of log construction in America, some misconceptions persist about log buildings."
A. "Log cabins were not the first type of shelter built by all American colonists."
Levi grated lemon zest into the whipped cream cheese and jabbed his pinky in the sweet icing for a sample. He suspected his latest creation required powdered sugar, so he located the canister and sprinkled raw sugar into his concoction. His second taste test revealed that his lemon cream pies were developing perfectly. The recipe had appeared in a simpler form on a teen cooking Web site, but Levi contemplated the recipe for days before attempting it. When he was satisfied that he could make it unique with final touches like lemon zest, he proceeded to the kitchen.
The narrator mentions Levi's adding grating lemon zest and adding powdered sugar in paragraph 1 in order to
a. show how Levi is unable to follow a simple recipe.
b. show how Levi is both a talented and creative cook.
c. show how Levi usually makes bad decisions when he cooks.
d. show how Levi's talents are taken advantage of by his family.
b. show how Levi is both a talented and creative cook.
6They had got me by this time into the apartment indicated by Mrs. Reed, and had thrust me upon a stool: my impulse was to rise from it like a spring; their two pair of hands arrested me instantly.
What is the meaning of the word arrested as used in this sentence?
a. to have a heart attack
b. to seize for a short time
c. to detain in legal custody
d. to stop all motion and growth
b. to seize for a short time
The Catching of Unshelled Fish Reading
This article is appropriate for an audience that is mostly adult because it uses
a. language and word choice that is formal.
b. language and word choice that is conversational.
c. language and word choice known as plain style.
d. an organizational technique that makes it more easily read.
a. language and word choice that is formal.
In this excerpt from Dr. King's famous speech, how does he use language to emotionally appeal to his audience?
I Have A Dream
Martin Luther King, Jr.
1 I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
2 Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
3 But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
4 In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
5It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
a. He uses only literal language to appeal to the audience.
b. He uses personal examples to identify with the audience.
c. He uses vivid words to create powerful images for the audience
d. He uses humor and light sarcasm to connect with a young audience.
c. He uses vivid words to create powerful images for the audience
The Catching of Unshelled Fish Reading
But, as Grover Cleveland said: "He is no true fisherman who is willing to fish only when fish are biting." The real angler will sit all day in a boat in a pouring rain, eagerly watching the point of the rod, which never for an instant swerves a half inch from the horizontal.
In section 4, why does the author include the quote from Grover Cleveland?
A. to support the central idea that the best fishermen are truly dedicated
B. to support the claim that true fishermen prefer to catch unshelled fish
C. to make the claim that unshelled fish are more difficult to catch than shelled fish
D. to support the central idea that the best fishermen does not waste time when the fish are not biting
A. to support the central idea that the best fishermen are truly dedicated.
Girl in History Reading
What evidence does the narrator give as to why she believes her ancestry is average?
a. Most of the previous 8th grade students had average ancestors.
b. Mr. Wittmeyer did not assign the project to look for famous relatives.
c. No one with the narrator's last name or in her family has ever been famous.
d. Computer programs are untrustworthy when you are looking for personal information.
a. Most of the previous 8th grade students had average ancestors.
The word degenerate contains the prefix de-, which means down, away, from, and a root word, generate, which means to create or bring into existence. What is the meaning of the word degenerate as used in the second sentence of paragraph 8?
"We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence."
a. to drop into a low level of altitude
b. to lose functional ability, as in an organ or limb
c. a person who has declined from a previous standard
d. to fall below a normal or desirable level of acceptance
d. to fall below a normal or desirable level of acceptance
ligature
noun
1. the act of binding or tying up:
The ligature of the artery was done with skill.
2. anything that serves for binding or tying up, as a band, bandage, or cord.
3. a tie or bond:
the ligature of mutual need that bound them together.
4. Printing, Orthography. a stroke or bar connecting two letters.
5. Printing. a character or type combining two or more letters, as fl and ƕ.
Which is the best meaning of ligature, based upon the context of this passage?
"Miss Abbot turned to divest a stout leg of the necessary ligature."
a. anything that serves for binding or tying up, as a band, bandage, or cord
b. the act of binding or tying up:
c. a tie or bond:
d. a stroke or bar connecting two letters
a. anything that serves for binding or tying up, as a band, bandage, or cord
Because the Latin root clamor means “to cry out,” the word clamorous means marked by confusing outcry. Which synonym below would best replace clamorous in paragraph 5?
“Can you take us down to the island and back?” asked the man, stepping out from a clamorous group of ten or so people."
a. yowling
b. soundless
c. quiet
d. subdued
a. yowling
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
In this portion of his famous speech, what is one way that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. expresses his message or theme?
a. He uses similes to compare the issues that he mentions in his speech.
b. He uses a metaphor to compare an uncashed check to the promises of America.
c. He uses personification to make the United States of America seem like a real person.
d. He uses hyperbole to exaggerate the lack of freedom and justice in the United States.
b. He uses a metaphor to compare an uncashed check to the promises of America.
Girl in History reading
Which is the BEST description of the narrator's development as a character in this passage?
a. The narrator develops a strong dislike toward her teacher, Mr. Wittmeyer.
b. The narrator changes from being a "science person" to a "history person."
c. The narrator changes from disliking history to being very interested in it.
d. The narrator discovers that she was right all along: history is very boring.
c. The narrator changes from disliking history to being very interested in it.
Up in the land of the Limberlost, old Mother Nature, with strident muttering, had set about her annual house cleaning.
Which is the best definition of the word strident as it is used in this sentence?
a. sweet and smooth
b. loud, harsh, and grating
c. soft, unobtrusive, and subtle
d. harmonious, attractive, and alluring
b. loud, harsh, and grating
What is the BEST definition for the word insatiable, as it is used in section 8?
a. unable to correct
b. not able to repair
c. unworthy of attention
d. impossible to satisfy
d. impossible to satisfy
The Latin word "vivere" means "to live." Based on this, which of these is MOST LIKELY the meaning of the word "revive"?
a. to end life
b. to restore life
c. to withhold life
d. to carry out life
b. to restore life