American Lit B MIDTERM

Read the excerpt from a poem. Then, answer the question(s).

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand —
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep — while I weep!
O God! Can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?

Which of these concepts do the grains of sand most likely symbolize?

-from A Dream Within a Dream BY EDGAR ALLAN POE

Read the excerpt from a fictional narrative. Then, answer the question(s).

(1) One day, about the middle of November, the sisters were both at home, and sat each by her chosen window, stitching busily. (2) Sometimes Mary would stop for a minute or two, and look out across the country, as if she really took pleasure in seeing the leafless trees against the gray sky, and the band of pale yellow in the southwest, the soft pale brown of the fields and pastures, and a bronzed oak here and there against the blackish-green pine woods. (3) Martha thought it a very bleak, miserable sort of day; her window overlooked the road to the village, and hardly anybody had gone by all the afternoon … .
(4) Mary, as usual, humbly wondered if her sister were lonely and troubled, and if she
herself were half so good and tender as she ought to be to one so dear and kind.

—from "Mary and Martha" by Sarah Orne Jewett

Based on the details in the passage, what do you infer is a main difference between the two sisters?

In which of the following situations would it be important to distinguish between fact and opinion?

An excerpt from Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention" appears below. Henry delivered this speech in 1775, as the American colonies debated whether to engage in full rebellion against the British. Read the passage, and then answer the question(s).

They tell us, sir, that we are weak—unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?

In this passage, how does Patrick Henry try to convince a hostile audience—listeners who disagree with him?

The words sympathy, empathy, and pathos all contain the root -path-. Using this knowledge, what do you conclude the root -path- means?

The root -voc- comes from vox, which is the Latin word for "voice." Using this knowledge, identify the word that contains this root.

Read the excerpt from a fictional narrative. Then, answer the question(s).

(1) One day, about the middle of November, the sisters were both at home, and sat each by her chosen window, stitching busily. (2) Sometimes Mary would stop for a minute or two, and look out across the country, as if she really took pleasure in seeing the leafless trees against the gray sky, and the band of pale yellow in the southwest, the soft pale brown of the fields and pastures, and a bronzed oak here and there against the blackish-green pine woods. (3) Martha thought it a very bleak, miserable sort of day; her window overlooked the road to the village, and hardly anybody had gone by all the afternoon … .
(4) Mary, as usual, humbly wondered if her sister were lonely and troubled, and if she herself were half so good and tender as she ought to be to one so dear and kind.

—from "Mary and Martha" by Sarah Orne Jewett

What are the subject and verb in the main clause of sentence 2?

The Latin root -ject- means "throw." Using this knowledge, choose the item that describes something you would most likely reject.

The word maledictions contains the prefix mal-, which means "bad," and the root -dict-, which means "to say" or "speech." Using this knowledge, choose the answer that is the best synonym for maledictions.

Read the passage from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, an autobiography by Harriet Jacobs. Then, answer the question(s).

I was born a slave; but I never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away. My father was a carpenter, and considered so intelligent and skillful in his trade, that, when buildings out of the common line were to be erected, he was sent for from long distances, to be head workman. On condition of paying his mistress two hundred dollars a year, and supporting himself, he was allowed to work at his trade, and manage his own affairs. His
strongest wish was to purchase his children; but, though he several times offered his hard earnings for that purpose, he never succeeded.

What quality distinguishes slave narratives like this one from other types of narrative nonfiction?

The prefix uni- means "one" or "whole." In which of the following words does the prefix unimean "one"?

Read the passage from The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain. Then, answer the question(s).

Guides know about enough English to tangle everything up so that a man can make neither head nor tail of it. They know their story by heart—the history of every statue, painting, cathedral, or other wonder they show you. They know it and tell it as a parrot would—and if you interrupt, and throw them off the track, they have to go back and begin over again. All their lives long, they are employed in showing strange things to foreigners and listening to their bursts of admiration. It is human nature to take delight in exciting admiration. It is what prompts children to say "smart" things, and do absurd ones, and in other ways "show off" when company is present. It is what makes gossips turn out in rain and storm to go and be the first to tell a startling bit of news. Think, then, what a passion it becomes with a guide, whose privilege it is, every day, to show to strangers wonders that throw them into perfect ecstasies of admiration! He gets so that he could not by any possibility live in a soberer atmosphere. After we discovered this, we never went into ecstasies any more—we never admired anything—we never showed any but impassible faces and stupid indifference in the presence of the sublimest wonders a guide had to display.

Which sentence best summarizes the conclusion of the passage?

I was born a slave; but I never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away. My father was a carpenter, and considered so intelligent and skilful in his trade, that, when buildings out of the common line were to be erected, he was sent for from long distances, to be head workman. On condition of paying his mistress two hundred dollars a year, and supporting himself, he was allowed to work at his trade, and manage his own affairs. His strongest wish was to purchase his children; but, though he several times offered his hard earnings for that purpose, he never succeeded.

from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Which sentence best summarizes the selection?

Which set of words best completes the following sentence?

The physics final was the ________ of all my tests, far ________ than the mid-term exam.

Thus, some tall tree that long hath stood
The glory of its native wood,
By storms destroyed, or length of years,
Demands the tribute of our tears.

from “On the Death of Dr. Benjamin Franklin”
by Philip Morin Freneau

From what type of poem does this stanza come?

Which of the following pronouns correctly replaces Lakeisha in the sentence below?

The argument over the granola bar was the first fight I had ever seen between Sarita and Lakeisha.

The root -flu- means "flow." Using this knowledge, identify the word that contains this root.

Thus, some tall tree that long hath stood
The glory of its native wood,
By storms destroyed, or length of years,
Demands the tribute of our tears.

from “On the Death of Dr. Benjamin Franklin”
by Philip Morin Freneau

To clarify the meaning of lines 1–4, how might you rephrase them?

Which answer choice best completes the following sentence?

Chimpanzees are ________ than gorillas.

I was born a slave; but I never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away. My father was a carpenter, and considered so intelligent and skilful in his trade, that, when buildings out of the common line were to be erected, he was sent for from long distances, to be head workman. On condition of paying his mistress two hundred dollars a year, and supporting himself, he was allowed to work at his trade, and manage his own affairs. His
strongest wish was to purchase his children; but, though he several times offered his hard earnings for that purpose, he never succeeded.

from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

What makes a slave narrative unique?

In a consumer document, such as a manual, which of the following text features would best help a reader identify the sequence of steps in a task?

Read the passage. Then, answer the question(s).
There was a feller here once by the name of Jim Smiley, in the winter of '49—or maybe it was the spring of '50—I don't recollect exactly, somehow, though what makes me think it was one or the other is because I remember the big flume wasn't finished when he first came to the camp; but anyway, he was the curiousest man about always betting on anything that turned up you ever see, if he could get anybody to bet on the other side; and if he couldn't, he'd change sides. Any way that suited the other man would suit him—any way just so's he got a bet, he was satisfied. . . .
Well, thish-yer Smiley had rat-tarriers, and chicken cocks, and tomcats and all them kind of things till you couldn't rest, and you couldn't fetch nothing for him to bet on but he'd match you. He ketched a frog one day and took him home, and said he cal'lated to educate him; and so he never done nothing for three months but set in his back yard and learn that frog to jump.

—from "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain

Which answer choice best describes the author's style in this passage?

87 percent of students believe that school has no benefit.

Choose the pair of words that correctly completes the sentence.

________ Dana ________ her sister had yet taken the driving course.

Success in school depends on many variables.

In which of the following primary source documents would the writer most likely explain, not simply imply, a distinct perspective?

In what way would a speech always differ from an essay on the same subject?

Why is the following sentence ungrammatical?

The instructions were so confusing that she didn’t have no idea what to do next.

Thus, some tall tree that long hath stood
The glory of its native wood,
By storms destroyed, or length of years,
Demands the tribute of our tears.

from “On the Death of Dr. Benjamin Franklin”
by Philip Morin Freneau

What conclusion can you draw about the speaker’s feelings toward Benjamin Franklin?

I was born a slave; but I never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away. My father was a carpenter, and considered so intelligent and skilful in his trade, that, when buildings out of the common line were to be erected, he was sent for from long distances, to be head workman. On condition of paying his mistress two hundred dollars a year, and supporting himself, he was allowed to work at his trade, and manage his own affairs. His
strongest wish was to purchase his children; but, though he several times offered his hard earnings for that purpose, he never succeeded.

from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Why does the last sentence evoke strong emotions in the reader?

One meaning of the prefix omni- is "all." Using this knowledge, choose the answer that best defines the word omnipotent.

Which of the following is a primary source?

The prefix ab- means "away" or "from." Using this knowledge, what do you conclude it means to abscond with silver candlesticks?

People in a postion of power should be careful that their words or actions are not taken out of context.

Using context clues to determine your answer, choose the best definition of pinnace as used in this passage from Drake's Great Armada by Captain Walter Bigge.

The General caused the Vice-Admiral to go with the pinnaces well manned to see what they were; who upon sight of the said pinnaces approaching near unto them, abandoned for the most part all their ships, being Frenchmen, laden all with salt, and bound homewards into France.

The prefix ex- means "out" or "away from." Using this knowledge, what do you conclude you do when you extract a tooth?

The suffix -tude means "having" or "possessing." Using this knowledge, choose the answer that best defines the word aptitude.

Read the passage from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, an autobiography by Harriet Jacobs. Then, answer the question(s).

I was born a slave; but I never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away. My father was a carpenter, and considered so intelligent and skillful in his trade, that, when buildings out of the common line were to be erected, he was sent for from long distances, to be head workman. On condition of paying his mistress two hundred dollars a year, and supporting himself, he was allowed to work at his trade, and manage his own affairs. His strongest wish was to purchase his children; but, though he several times offered his hard
earnings for that purpose, he never succeeded.

What was the direct effect of Harriet's father being intelligent and skillful in his trade?

Read the passage from The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain. Then, answer the question(s).

Guides know about enough English to tangle everything up so that a man can make neither head nor tail of it. They know their story by heart—the history of every statue, painting, cathedral, or other wonder they show you. They know it and tell it as a parrot would—and if you interrupt, and throw them off the track, they have to go back and begin over again. All their lives long, they are employed in showing strange things to foreigners and listening to their bursts of admiration. It is human nature to take delight in exciting
admiration. It is what prompts children to say "smart" things, and do absurd ones, and in other ways "show off" when company is present. It is what makes gossips turn out in rain and storm to go and be the first to tell a startling bit of news. Think, then, what a passion it becomes with a guide, whose privilege it is, every day, to show to strangers wonders that throw them into perfect ecstasies of admiration! He gets so that he could not by any possibility live in a soberer atmosphere. After we discovered this, we never went into ecstasies any more—we never admired anything—we never showed any but impassible faces and stupid indifference in the presence of the sublimest wonders a guide had to display.

What detail does Twain use to support his philosophy that humans "take delight in exciting admiration"?

What figure of speech does the following sentence contain?

The flower lifted its droopy head and drank eagerly.