American Literature A MIDTERM

What is the antecedent of the pronoun (his) in the following sentence?

Neither Alex nor John has completed his application for the summer job.

What is an example of a prewriting strategy?

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows.
From “Drake’s Great Armada”
By Captain Walter Bigge.
(1) After out going hence, which was the 14th of September, in the year of our Lord 1585, and taking our course towards Spain, we had the wind for a few days somewhat scant, and sometimes calm. (2) And being arrived near that par t of Spain which is called the Moors, we happened to espy divers sails, which kept their course close by the shore, the weather being fair and calm. (3) The General caused the Vice-Admiral to go with the penances well manned to see what they were; who upon sight of the said penances approaching near unto them, abandoned for the most part all their ships, being Frenchmen, laden all with salt, and bound homewards into France.

What is the author’s main purpose for writing this selection?

In which example below is imagery being used?

Find the prepositional phrase(s) in this sentence. Remember the object must be a noun or a pronoun.

She had lost the name of the book about airplanes.

Find the prepositional phrase(s) in this sentence. Remember the object must be a noun or a pronoun.

The boy with the skateboard hurried down the street and into the building.

Which of the following sentences contains a collective noun with the correct verb form attached?

Which explanation best describes why the English settlers in New England were called Puritans?

Find the prepositional phrases in this sentence. Remember the object must be a noun or a pronoun.

The wind arrived before the storm.

Open a new tab or window. Copy and paste this link into address bar, then use the picture to answer the following question

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/61288785/Map%20for%20Test.png


Native Americans are not native to America. They arrived by traveling from Asia across a land bridge covering the Bering Strait.

Using the above map and the directional, indicate what direction did the first migration of indigenous people (Native Americans) travel to arrive in the northeast section of the United States.

The word misnomer comes from the Latin words ‘mes’ meaning wrongly and the ‘nomer’ meaning name. Which of the words or phrases below can be considered a misnomer?

Which of the following is not a part of the writing process?

Read the selection, then, answer the question that follows.

(1) On the first day that we ventured into the wilderness, our native guides took us to a deep canyon surrounded by steep cliffs of coppery, red rock. (2) On horseback, we began a long and perilous trek down to the canyon’s floor. (3) The narrow paths were hardly visible, and we were often frightened by the heights. (4) Surely each of us could have easily fallen to his death. (5) However, the strange and new plants and animals we encountered along the way were fascinating, particularly to Ramirez. (6) Often, he asked us to pause while he sketched a specimen or attempted to gain pertinent information from our guides.

What is the main purpose of this exploration narrative?

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows..

Ted Smitty was the meteorologist for WUCG’s evening news broadcast, and viewers thought that he was the best one in the business. His forecasts were almost always correct. If he said on his early morning broadcast that it was going to rain, all the people in metropolitan Cleveland would take their umbrellas to work. Everyone depended on his reliability, and this was often a mixed blessing. He wanted the people to trust his information as accurate, but he hated giving them bad news. That’s why he had a particularly difficult time delivering his forecast this morning.

“We’ll be seeing a mix of cloudy weather and rain all week,” he reported, “and Saturday will be the worst. Tempests will be blowing in from the Northeast, so put away the lawn furniture and dress for wind.” Although he knew that giving bad news was just part of his job, ruining weekends for his audience was really hard. Of course it was better for people to be informed about rainy and windy weather ahead of time so that they could plan for it. Still, he felt that it was always difficult to say what nobody wanted to hear.

Where can people find Ted Smitty’s reports?

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows.

(1) Long, long ago, when our people first came to this land, it was totally flat and covered with dry sand. (2) As hard as the people worked, they were unable to grow trees for shelter or plants for food. (3) The land seemed merciless, and many people grew weak and suffered mortal illnesses. (4) One day two young women walked out into the hot, dry desert. (5) “Please, Great Spirit,” they called to the sky. (6)” Please revive our land with rain, green plants, and rolling hills.” (7)The Great Spirit was moved by their prayer. (8) “Please,” they cried, “bring a rushing river filled with bountiful fish for us to eat.” (9) The omnipotent Great Spirit brought a long rainy season to transform the land. (10) The sand washed away causing hills to form along a rushing river’s banks. (11) Out of the drenched earth, green plants sprouted. (12) In modern times, our fertile and beautiful valley represents the Great Spirit’s reaction to the ancient women’s pleas for help.

Which statement best summarizes the purpose of this origin myth?

What is theme in a piece of literature?

Which sentence has an adverb clause?

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows.

(1) Long, long ago, when our people first came to this land, it was totally flat and covered with dry sand. (2) As hard as the people worked, they were unable to grow trees for shelter or plants for food. (3) The land seemed merciless, and many people grew weak and suffered mortal illnesses. (4) One day two young women walked out into the hot, dry desert. (5) “Please, Great Spirit,” they called to the sky. (6)” Please revive our land with rain, green plants, and rolling hills.” (7)The Great Spirit was moved by their prayer. (8) “Please,” they cried, “bring a rushing river filled with bountiful fish for us to eat.” (9) The omnipotent Great Spirit brought a long rainy season to transform the land. (10) The sand washed away causing hills to form along a rushing river’s banks. (11) Out of the drenched earth, green plants sprouted. (12) In modern times, our fertile and beautiful valley represents the Great Spirit’s reaction to the ancient women’s pleas for help.

Which sentence contains a cultural detail that signals how the people of a culture view religion?

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows.

Ted Smitty was the meteorologist for WUCG’s evening news broadcast, and viewers thought that he was the best one in the business. His forecasts were almost always correct. If he said on his early morning broadcast that it was going to rain, all the people in metropolitan Cleveland would take their umbrellas to work. Everyone depended on his reliability, and this was often a mixed blessing. He wanted the people to trust his information as accurate, but he hated giving them bad news. That’s why he had a particularly difficult time delivering his forecast this morning.

“We’ll be seeing a mix of cloudy weather and rain all week,” he reported, “and Saturday will be the worst. Tempests will be blowing in from the Northeast, so put away the lawn furniture and dress for wind.” Although he knew that giving bad news was just part of his job, ruining weekends for his audience was really hard. Of course it was better for people to be informed about rainy and windy weather ahead of time so that they could plan for it. Still, he felt that it was always difficult to say what nobody wanted to hear.

Based on this passage, what is a meteorologist?

If you were doing an Internet search to find the writings of American slaves, which of the following is the best phrase to use in your search?

Which sentence below best displays the author’s use of hyperbole?

Which sentence shows correct pronoun and antecedent agreement?

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows.

Ted Smitty was the meteorologist for WUCG’s evening news broadcast, and viewers thought that he was the best one in the business. His forecasts were almost always correct. If he said on his early morning broadcast that it was going to rain, all the people in metropolitan Cleveland would take their umbrellas to work. Everyone depended on his reliability, and this was often a mixed blessing. He wanted the people to trust his information as accurate, but he hated giving them bad news. That’s why he had a particularly difficult time delivering his forecast this morning.

“We’ll be seeing a mix of cloudy weather and rain all week,” he reported, “and Saturday will be the worst. Tempests will be blowing in from the Northeast, so put away the lawn furniture and dress for wind.” Although he knew that giving bad news was just part of his job, ruining weekends for his audience was really hard. Of course it was better for people to be informed about rainy and windy weather ahead of time so that they could plan for it. Still, he felt that it was always difficult to say what nobody wanted to hear.

Which of the following is the best summary of Ted Smitty’s report?

In which sentence does the verb agree with its subject?

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows.

Ted Smitty was the meteorologist for WUCG’s evening news broadcast, and viewers thought that he was the best one in the business. His forecasts were almost always correct. If he said on his early morning broadcast that it was going to rain, all the people in metropolitan Cleveland would take their umbrellas to work. Everyone depended on his reliability, and this was often a mixed blessing. He wanted the people to trust his information as accurate, but he hated giving them bad news. That’s why he had a particularly difficult time delivering his forecast this morning.

“We’ll be seeing a mix of cloudy weather and rain all week,” he reported, “and Saturday will be the worst. Tempests will be blowing in from the Northeast, so put away the lawn furniture and dress for wind.” Although he knew that giving bad news was just part of his job, ruining weekends for his audience was really hard. Of course it was better for people to be informed about rainy and windy weather ahead of time so that they could plan for it. Still, he felt that it was always difficult to say what nobody wanted to hear.

Why did people consider Ted Smitty the best in the business?

In Of Plymouth Plantation, the Native American Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to be better farmers for the New Land, what science is farming linked to?

With the opening of Harvard College and the invention of the printing press, what improvements were made to the life of the Puritans in America?

What was the predominant theme of most Puritan literature?

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows.

(1) Long, long ago, when our people first came to this land, it was totally flat and covered with dry sand. (2) As hard as the people worked, they were unable to grow trees for shelter or plants for food. (3) The land seemed merciless, and many people grew weak and suffered mortal illnesses. (4) One day two young women walked out into the hot, dry desert. (5) “Please, Great Spirit,” they called to the sky. (6)” Please revive our land with rain, green plants, and rolling hills.” (7)The Great Spirit was moved by their prayer. (8) “Please,” they cried, “bring a rushing river filled with bountiful fish for us to eat.” (9) The omnipotent Great Spirit brought a long rainy season to transform the land. (10) The sand washed away causing hills to form along a rushing river’s banks. (11) Out of the drenched earth, green plants sprouted. (12) In modern times, our fertile and beautiful valley represents the Great Spirit’s reaction to the ancient women’s pleas for help.

The women in the myth ask the Great Spirit for rain to revive their land. What literary form would have been best suited for this request?

What does a sermon usually contain?

All of the following are part of the Native American’s oral tradition, except:

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows.
From “Drake’s Great Armada”
By Captain Walter Bigge.

(1) After out going hence, which was the 14th of September, in the year of our Lord 1585, and taking our course towards Spain, we had the wind for a few days somewhat scant, and sometimes calm. (2) And being arrived near that par t of Spain which is called the Moors, we happened to espy divers sails, which kept their course close by the shore, the weather being fair and calm. (3) The General caused the Vice-Admiral to go with the penances well manned to see what they were; who upon sight of the said penances approaching near unto them, abandoned for the most part all their ships, being Frenchmen, laden all with salt, and bound homewards into France.


Which is the best paraphrase of sentence 1?

Which sentence has a "state of being" verb?

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows.

Ted Smitty was the meteorologist for WUCG’s evening news broadcast, and viewers thought that he was the best one in the business. His forecasts were almost always correct. If he said on his early morning broadcast that it was going to rain, all the people in metropolitan Cleveland would take their umbrellas to work. Everyone depended on his reliability, and this was often a mixed blessing. He wanted the people to trust his information as accurate, but he hated giving them bad news. That’s why he had a particularly difficult time delivering his forecast this morning.

“We’ll be seeing a mix of cloudy weather and rain all week,” he reported, “and Saturday will be the worst. Tempests will be blowing in from the Northeast, so put away the lawn furniture and dress for wind.” Although he knew that giving bad news was just part of his job, ruining weekends for his audience was really hard. Of course it was better for people to be informed about rainy and windy weather ahead of time so that they could plan for it. Still, he felt that it was always difficult to say what nobody wanted to hear.

Based on the selection, which is the best definition for the idiom a mixed blessing?

Which of the following is a true statement about a myth?

Busy old fool, unruly sun,
Why dost thou thus,
Through
windows, and through curtains call on us?

from "The Sun Rising"
by John Donne
_________________________________________________

"Oh, Death, be not proud."

by John Donne

What literary device is used in both of these excerpts?

Which sentence is an example of a compound sentence?

Christopher Columbus arrived in America in 1492. The first documented European settlement was founded in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia. How many years elapsed between Columbus’s arrival and that of the Jamestown colonists?

In the writing process what is the last step you would want to perform?

Read the selection. Then, answer the question that follows.
From “Drake’s Great Armada”
By Captain Walter Bigge.

(1) After out going hence, which was the 14th of September, in the year of our Lord 1585, and taking our course towards Spain, we had the wind for a few days somewhat scant, and sometimes calm. (2) And being arrived near that par t of Spain which is called the Moors, we happened to espy divers sails, which kept their course close by the shore, the weather being fair and calm. (3) The General caused the Vice-Admiral to go with the penances well manned to see what they were; who upon sight of the said penances approaching near unto them, abandoned for the most part all their ships, being Frenchmen, laden all with salt, and bound homewards into France.

What type of literature is in this selection?