English II Semester Exam

1.

1. Which statement is the BEST interpretation of this quote?

“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”

Hatred is destructive and love is constructive

Love makes life worth living.

Love is good; hate is bad.

Hatred makes life confusing

2.

2. Which rhetorical appeal is MOST evident in this quote?

“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”

ethos

logos

tone

pathos

3.

3. Which statement is the BEST interpretation of this quote?

“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.”

You should use your personal strengths to find success in life; through success, one is able to live life to the fullest.

You should live life by being true to yourself and to what is right.

You should surround yourself with winners in order to find success in life; they know what is truly important.

You should always try to be the best even if you have to give up your beliefs; winning is worth it.

4.

4. Which rhetorical appeal is MOST evident in this quote?

“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.”

logos

tone

pathos

ethos

5.

5. What makes Creon change his mind about Antigone’s punishment?

Antigone’s woe-is-me speech on her way to her cave to die.

Creon’s need to please the members of his kingdom who feel that she needed to be honored, not punished.

Haemon’s speech pleading Creon to change his mind.

Teiresias’ prophecies about the repercussions of his pride, stubbornness, and cruelty.

6.

6. When Creon argues with other characters, what does he believe is their motive?

bribery

arrogance

jealousy

stupidity

7.

7. Haimon uses all of the following strategies to convince Creon to spare Antigone EXCEPT:

reason and logic

flattery

playing on his fears of a revolt

bribery

8.

8. Antigone’s says her consolation in dying is that:

She will get to see her family again in Hades

She did not anger the gods

She spited Ismene

She won't have given in to Creon

9.

9. What does the following quote reveal about Creon?

“If I permit my own family to rebel, how shall I earn the world’s obedience?”

Creon is out of favor with the people of Thebes

Creon’s family does not care what people think of him

Creon is torn between loyalty to family and loyalty to the State

Creon is more concerned with appearing like a good ruler than actually being one

10.

10. What is Creon’s reasoning for not burying Polyneices?

Eteocles’ dying wish was for his evil brother, Polyneices, not be buried.

The gods would not want him to bury the son of Oedipus because of his crimes.

Polyneices was a traitor to his country, and traitors should not be honored.

Polyneices was a coward and does not have a hero’s burial.

11.

11. While Haemon is arguing with his father about Antigone, he says, "Then if she dies, her death will cause another." What does this foreshadow?

The death of Creon

The deaths of everyone around Creon

The death of Teiresias.

The death of Ismene

12.

12. Which of these values does Creon praise in his initial speech to the Chorus?

Moderation

Humility

Loyalty to the state

Compassion

13.

13. One thing that Creon and Antigone both have in common is that they are both:

Ignorant

Shallow

Proud

Religious

14.

14. Which of these is NOT an example of civil disobedience in Antigone?

Haemon choosing not to refuse Antigone

Antigone burying Polyneices

Ismene taking credit for burying Polyneices

Haemon refusing to watch Antigone die a miserable death

15.

15. Why was Antigone’s gender such an important issue in the play?

Because it was why Creon felt such a need to defeat her to prove himself

Because it went completely against the female stereotype

Because it was the first time that a woman had a strong, powerful role

All of the above

16.

16. How is Creon a tragic hero?

Creon saves the kingdom from ruin.

Creon realizes that he made a mistake, but it’s too late to fix it.

Creon is a hero in the battle between Eteocles and Polyneices.

Creon rescues Antigone from certain death.

17.

Read the persuasive campaign One Person + One Action = Change
and answer the following questions.

17. Which is the primary issue presented in the persuasive campaign?

People in the community need to work on self-improvement.

Schools are desperate for help with struggling students.

The community needs volunteers to work with kids

People in the community need to start working together.

18.

18. Which of the following BEST reveals how the writer’s diction motivates the reader to take action?

"Want to make a meaningful difference in a child's life?"

"How do our kids spend their time outside of school?”

Public service will make our community a better place to live.”

"Only 5% of our community currently volunteers.”

19.

19. Which audience does the Public Service Announcement target using which rhetorical appeal?

Adult community members are targeted using appeals to pathos.

Retired teachers are targeted using appeals to ethos.

Business leaders of the community are targeted using appeals to ethos.

Teenaged community members are targeted using appeals to logos.

20.

20. Read the topic sentence.
The School Board should permit the use of surveillance cameras in schools because it will significantly deter crime.

Which research fact represents the BEST supporting evidence for this topic sentence?

Whenever there is a camera, people’s behavior tends to improve; therefore, they are less likely to commit a crime.

One year after installing surveillance cameras on their campus, a local school district reported a 48% drop in crime.

Mrs. Jackson, the superintendent of a local school district, reports:“Surveillance cameras have reduced crime at our school.”

Mr. Brady, a retired police officer, believes that surveillance cameras will decrease the amount of crime on campus.

21.

21. Read the topic sentence.
The School Board should eliminate the “D” grade because the current grading standard is too low; raising the standard will increase student success.

Which research fact represents the BEST supporting evidence for the topic sentence?

Mr. Jones, a high school English teacher, believes that students who earn Ds in school are more likely to struggle later in life because they do not work hard enough.

If we eliminate the “D” grade, we eliminate low standards; setting a higher standard sends the message that school is important and that we value our students.

A high school student explains: “I used to think that it is fine to earn Ds in school. Now I know that is not acceptable. I should have higher expectations for myself.”

School officials report that since the “D” grade was eliminated two years ago, the failure rate has dropped and standardized test scores have increased by 14 percent.

22.

22. Dean is creating a video to convince middle-school students that cyber-bullying (i.e., bullying
someone through the Internet) is a serious problem and has devastating consequences.

Which primary source would BEST help him prepare for this informed persuasive campaign?

an article about the negative effects of cyber-bullying

a panel discussion about the negative effects of media use

an interview with a victim of cyber-bullying

a website about creating persuasive videos

23.

23. Megan’s assignment was to compare and contrast her personality with that of her brother. She started the following compare/contrast paragraph in class, and her homework is to revise her writing to make it more effective. Read the paragraph:

My brother and I are similar, but we also have some differences.We are loyal to our family and friends, we love to read and cook, and we are hard-working. My brother is not athletic and he has never worked out in his life, but I am athletic and working out is an important part of my life.

Which is the BEST topic sentence for this paragraph?

My brother and I have very different perspectives about exercise, which is the reason why we look so different.

My brother and I share several values and interests, but we have very different perspectives about exercise.

My brother and I are similar and different, but that does not stop us from spending time together whenever we get the chance.

My brother and I share several values and interests, but we do not spend time together unless we are forced by our parents.

24.

24. During class, Megan’s teacher told her to develop her ideas by adding supporting detail to her paragraph. Read the paragraph:

My brother and I are similar, but we also have some differences.We are loyal to our family and friends, we love to read and cook, and we are hard-working. My brother is not athletic and he has never worked out in his life, but I am athletic and working out is an important part of my life.

Where is the BEST place to add concrete detail?

after the sentence about differences

after the sentence about similarities and after the sentence about differences

after the sentence about similarities

at the end of the paragraph

25.

25. After reading her work out loud, Megan realized that she needs to add transitions to link ideas and make her writing more fluent. Read the paragraph:

My brother and I are similar, but we also have some differences. We are loyal to our family and friends, we love to read and cook, and we are hard-working. My brother is not athletic and he has never worked out in his life, but I am athletic and working out is an important part of my life.

Which sentence would BEST serve as a transition between the ideas in the second and third sentences?

Similarly, we share core values, but we differ when it comes to the value of being physically fit.

Finally, my brother does not care about being physically fit, so we appear quite different.

Furthermore, my brother does not care about being physically fit, so we appear quite different.

Even though we share core values, we differ when it comes to the value of being physically fit.

26.

26. Jason is writing a literary analysis essay examining the dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet.

Which thesis statement MOST effectively meets his writing goals?

The dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet engages the audience and creates a connection between the characters and the audience.

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something that a character does not.

The end of Romeo and Juliet is the climax of the play because that’s when all of the action takes place.

The dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet eases the difficulty in understanding the Shakespearean language.

27.

27. Jason is using the following topic sentence to support his thesis. Shakespeare makes the tragic ending to Romeo and Juliet’s love story come alive through dramatic
irony.

Which piece of evidence would provide the BEST textual support for the body paragraph?

In Act 2, Benvolio, Mercutio, and Romeo are disrespecting the Nurse and making fun of her size without knowing that she is Juliet’s nurse.

In Act 5, Romeo finds Juliet and believes that she is dead, but the audience knows that she is only asleep, not dead.

In Act 3, Romeo never should’ve gotten involved in the street fight between Tybalt and Mercutio, because that ruined everything for him and Juliet.

In Act 2, Romeo and Juliet get married by Friar Lawrence, but the wedding takes place off-stage.

28.

28. Jessica is writing a literary analysis essay examining the effect of a character foil on the course of events in the play Romeo and Juliet. Which thesis statement MOST effectively meets the writer’s goals?

Romeo and Juliet create a character foil through their love for each other, despite the hatred that surrounds them by their feuding families.

Romeo is a passionate dreamer whereas Mercutio is pessimistic and sometimes crude.

A character foil is a person who, in contrast to the main character – the protagonist – emphasizes the main character’s distinctive qualities or characteristics.

Mercutio acts as a character foil to Romeo; his contrasting qualities and behavior lead to the tragic events that befall Romeo in the play.

29.

29. Jessica is using the following topic sentence to support her thesis.

Mercutio’s interest in fighting, in contrast to Romeo’s peacefulness, leads to an event that changes the course of Romeo’s life.

Which piece of evidence would provide the BEST textual support to for the body paragraph?

In Act 2, Mercutio disrespects the Nurse and makes fun of her size in front of Romeo without knowing that she is Juliet’s nurse.

In Act 2, Mercutio’s disrespect for the Nurse should be a signal to Romeo that he is not a friend, but rather someone who will drag him down.

In Act 3, Romeo’s involvement in the fight with Tybalt could have been avoided if he had been strong enough to stand up to Mercutio.

In Act 3, Mercutio fights Tybalt and is then killed, so Romeo gains revenge by slaying Tybalt.

30.

30. Read "A Tightrope Friendship" to answer this question.

30. Susie was assigned the role of discussion leader in her literature circle, and after reading “A Tightrope Friendship,” she prepared a series of thoughtful questions to discuss the story and explore the theme.

Which of these is a universal question that BEST reveals the theme of the short story?

Why is it so hard to balance friendships with different people?

Why was Hannah late to Shelley’s party?

How does Hannah feel about Shelley at the end of the story?

How does communication affect friendships?

31.

31. Read "A Tightrope Friendship" to answer this question.

Gabriella was assigned the role of bridge builder in her literature circle. To make a text-to-text connection, she selected this quote to present to the group. Read the quote.

“[W]e all need friends with whom we can speak of our deepest concerns, and who do not fear to
speak the truth in love to us.” — Margaret Guenther

Which statement captures the theme of both the short story and the quote?

A friendship will not survive without love.

Jealous people ruin their friendships.

Friendships should be based on honesty and trust.

Without friends, life would not be worth living.

32.

32. From "Grandmother's Game" For the next ten minutes, John tried his best to return his grandmother’s lightning-fast serve.

What is the MOST accurate connotation of “lightning-fast” as used in this sentence?

speedy

unexpected

powerful

dangerous

33.

33. Which word BEST describes the tone used in this passage?
Reference "Grandmother's Game"

joyful

respectful

irritated

anxious

34.

34. Read the sentences from the passage.

John laughed and caught the dust cloth in midair.
“Two points,” his grandmother said.
From "Grandmother's Game"

What can the reader infer about the grandmother’s character based upon her reply?

She is hard-working

She is kind

She is honest

She is playful

35.

35. What can the reader conclude by the end of the story?

Reference "Grandmother's Game"

ohn is patient, but he is bored by his grandmother’s stories.

John and his grandmother enjoy spending time together.

The grandmother feels that she has nothing in common with John.

The grandmother is too busy with her life and does not have time for John.

36.

36. Which of these statements best summarizes the story, "Grandmother's Games?"

As John and his grandmother bond over their mutual interest in tennis, John learns something new about his grandmother and the history that has inspired her.

John’s grandmother needs his help to prepare for her book club, but John plays tennis instead.

John and his grandmother play tennis and talk about John’s life.

John’s grandmother brags about her athletic skills and past accomplishments.

37.

37. What does Althea Gibson’s character symbolize to John’s grandmother?

success in spite of obstacles

the struggles in life

the idea that practice makes perfect

an unfulfilled dream

38.

38. Which of the following sentence is NOT a run-on?

It is in your best interest to do your work and you should not complain about it.

Semester exams are so much fun I can’t wait to see if I passed.

Even though there were three little pigs who lived in a hole a wolf came and ate them.

Yesterday my sister was frightened because she found a dead mouse in her shoe at the bottom of her closet.

39.

39. Which of the following is NOT a way to correct a comma splice?

comma

Add a FANBOYS

period and make it two sentences

semi-colon

40.

40. What is the best way to revise the following sentence?

The groom was wearing a blue flight suit and 240 miles above the Earth on the International Space Station floating.

The groom was wearing a blue flight suit and floating 240 miles above the Earth on the International Space Station.

The groom was wearing a blue flight suit. Floating 240 miles above the Earth on the International Space Station.

The groom, who was wearing a blue flight suit, he was floating 240 miles above the Earth on the International Space Station.

The groom was wearing a blue flight suit, he was floating 240 miles above the Earth on the International Space Station.